


Glory on High

by Homunculi



Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Sexual Assault, Drinking, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Language, M/M, Other, Religious Conflict, Revenge, Self-Harm, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2020-11-27 20:16:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 34,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20954285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Homunculi/pseuds/Homunculi
Summary: Set in the X-men Apocalypse timeline, but there is canon divergence. After Warren's wing is ruined in the cage fight, he goes into hiding in an abandoned building. However, Apocalypse and his groupies never come looking for him. So, he stays there during his recovery, plotting revenge on a certain Nightcrawler.





	1. Brood

His wings heaved in labored effort to keep him afloat. Every flutter sent waves of pain shooting up through the bloodied, feathered limbs, into his spine and shoulders. The tips of his tired fingers barely grasped the rafters of the abandoned cathedral before his wings gave out. It took the last bit of strength in him, dangling from the beam, to hoist himself up into a seated position. His new roost, a throne befitting a fallen angel. The plumage that covered what remained of his destroyed wings stirred up dust and cobwebs as he tucked them safely behind himself. The majority of the left appendage had been burned to a crisp. Nearly all of his beautiful feathers went up in ash, rendering that entire half effectively useless. 

The moonlight shone down on him through the dilapidated roof, as he fought back tears that threatened to come for so many reasons. It hurt, in more ways than one. The physical anguish of being grated against an electric fence was undeniable. But the humiliation of being stripped of your pride? The winning streak in the cage fights, sure, it never felt great to be bested, but that wasn’t it. Without his wings, he had no identity. No power, nothing left to make him special. He was not the kind of angel who hailed from heaven nor any place like it. But the fall he took in that cage felt like a nose dive straight to hell. And there was nothing more ironic than being sent by a hellion, like it was some kind of personal invitation. 

Warren recoiled at the fresh memories, still vivid in his mind. The blue, impish boy with the large amber eyes. The kid who wasn’t even keen on the fight. He could feel it tangibly in the atmosphere, the nervous energy radiating off of the other mutant. The second this  _ Nightcrawler,  _ as they said, was dumped into his territory- it was clear which one was the prey. Or was it? And oh how the tables turned. He cut the thought off, remembering to forget the worst of it, although his wounds would be a stark reminder everyday.  _ If there’s any silver lining,  _ he lamented,  _ I guess birds don’t belong in cages, anyways.  _

\-----------------------

But the image of his opponent stayed with him. Every time he moved and his whole body ached, the visage passed through his memory.  _ That fucking bastard! And he just escaped...without so much as a goddamned scratch.  _

The cauterized wing was a heavy burden, holding him down like a ball and chain, and he winced at the thought of how agonizingly slow the plumes would regrow. With every sting and every setback during his first couple of weeks of recovery, the feeling of hatred in his heart blazed hotter and hotter. He was consumed by sadness, rage, and self-pity and all of it kindled an intense desire for vengeance.  _ I’ll find him, and I’ll strip him of whatever he holds dearest. If it’s the last thing I do.  _ But he wouldn’t have to wander far and wide. Oh, no. As luck would have it, his target came straight to him. 

It had only been about three weeks since the incident, and his damaged wing was still in the process of molting before healthy down could regrow. He was preening his intact wing, still perched at the ceiling of the dark, forgotten church when he heard a loud creak from the neglected door being pushed open. Lo and behold, in waltzed the blue teleporter.  _ What reason would he have to be here? Did he come looking for me, _ Warren wondered. But it seemed the mutant was completely oblivious to his presence. He didn’t even spare a glance to the rafters, but rather walked with purpose to the old, forlorn altar. The Nightcrawler lit a candle and knelt before it to pray. The blonde couldn’t believe what he was witnessing, and he struggled to fight the urge to end him right on the spot. 

Instead, he waited patiently until he felt the boy was sufficiently enraptured in his godly murmuring. He sprung into action, silently swooping down, using his stronger wing to guide him into his prey, who jumped at the unexpected ruffle of feathers all too late, taking a fist square to the jaw before he could even think about teleporting. He grunted in pain and hit the floor with an audible thud. Warren stood over him, and pressed his boot down onto the blue mutant’s throat, crushing it just enough to earn a gasp for air. He looked down on his victim with eyes full of malice.

“Now’s not the time for prayer, my friend,” he shook his head, snickering in pity.

Kurt finally gathered the wherewithal to teleport a safe distance away from his assailant, to the far corner of the church. 

“E-engel?! What are you doing here?”

“Once upon a time, this might’ve been a place of worship, but there are no angels here.”

“I’m so sorry! I’m so so sorry,” he pleaded and fell to his knees, hands clasped together, begging.

“You’re only sorry for yourself, kid,” Warren drawled, unconvinced as he sauntered closer to Kurt.

“N-no! I mean it! You saw it. Surely! I didn’t want to fight you, engel! I’m so terribly sorry,” he insisted, shouting at this point, eyes on the verge of tears as they gazed over the damaged wing. 

“I’m not a fucking angel,” the blonde man yelled as he lunged forward, swiping at his cornered victim with a strong sweep of his feathered limb.

Kurt only dodged with another teleport. 

“Please! No more fighting! We’re not in the cage anymore, we don’t have to do this! Let me help you. At the school we have smart doctors and they ca-”

He was interrupted by another attack, which he avoided again with ease. Warren’s pace was obviously slowed by the dead weight of his injured appendage and the pain it inflicted every time he flailed about too aggressively. He was running low on endurance and it showed as he reached around and gripped his shoulder, wincing at the soreness of his muscles. Kurt approached him hesitantly, trying to assess the condition of his enemy’s wounds - the wounds he had caused. It bothered his conscience to see another person suffering due to his actions. 

Warren staggered backwards, still grimacing as he nursed his left shoulder, which drooped weakly. His pride was damaged further, which he didn’t really think was possible at this point. Yet here he was in this sorry state, his sworn enemy as his witness, incapable of proving himself. He was bested once more by the Night Crawler, unable to change the destiny that was already written. It was like the cage match all over again. 

Feebly, his failing wings lifted him back to the shaded, dusty rafters where he assumed his position on his broken throne. He hung his head, conceding to defeat. 

“Don’t come around here anymore, Crawler.”

Kurt looked up at him, golden eyes heavy with sorrow. Like there was something he yearned for so badly that was just beyond his reach. He sighed and shook his head in disbelief.

“The last thing I ever could have wanted,” he said as he walked over to the altar and blew out the melted candle, “is to be seen as a villain by a creature of God."

Warren found himself lacking the will to protest this young man’s delusional belief that he somehow had anything to do with the heavens. He let it slide, and cast a foreboding glare down at Kurt, who stood at the exit, about to take his leave. 

“I will pray for you,” he said, barely above a whisper as he pushed open the door and disappeared. 

\-------------------------------

“Hey, I’ve thought a lot about everything ... and I think I’m ready.”

A long moment of silence droned as Warren held his cell phone to his ear, anticipating a response. 

“You don’t mean ...do you?”

“Yeah, I’ll do it. But I can’t come back to America right now, so I’ll need you to work something out.”

Laughter crackled over the line, and the blonde could practically hear his father's shit-eating grin. 

“I’m so proud of you, boy. I’ll arrange the package, just text me the address.”

“Thanks, dad. I’m finally gonna be the son you’ve always wanted, huh,” he remarked, almost as an inside joke with himself. 

“We’ll have to get you back home soon, Warren. But I’ve gotta go - business. You know. I’ll have my assistant get it shipped out today.”

“Yeah, I get it. Talk later.”

\------------------

He watched as a very confused mail carrier left the box on the doorstep of the abandoned church after triple checking the address. He waited until the coast was clear before promptly gliding down from the roof to pick up the parcel.  _ Thank god for rich people and their expedited international shipping, _ he thought as he ascended to his roost on the wooden beams and carefully began unwrapping the package. It was sealed so delicately, with layer after layer of bubble wrap and packing foam protecting its fragile contents. There they were. Two perfectly dosed syringes, filled with an indistinct serum. 

Warren had been devising a plan as his last ditch effort for revenge. Although he wasn’t too certain how the whole thing would pan out, he was still hell bent on avenging his tattered ego. Based on his encounters with the blue boy thus far, he guessed that his only power was teleportation - and without that he’d be rendered useless, at the mercy of the fallen angel. However, this was all riding on whether or not the Nightcrawler would dare return to the cathedral or not. With all of the accommodations in order, the only thing left to do was await the guest of honor.

\----------------------

About a month had passed since the first time the religious mutant came to pray at the decrepit sanctuary. But he came again, just like Warren had expected. It was unclear what drew him to this place.  _ Does he come to honor the place of worship by keeping it in use? Did he return because he knew I’d be here?  _ Many questions flicked through his mind, but as soon as he saw the blue puff of smoke materialise on the wooden floor beneath him, he struck like lightning. In one smooth motion he pulled the loaded syringe from his leather jacket, dove onto an unprepared Kurt and jabbed straight into his neck, injecting him with the drug. 

Kurt cried out in shock and pain as the needle pierced his skin. He rapidly teleported away, only to find himself unable to travel more than a few feet. He poofed again and again, but kept turning up in the same spot. His veins felt like they were on fire. His world was spinning and he was so dizzy and nauseous. The candle and the rosary he was carrying hit the floor first, and he followed shortly thereafter, completely unconscious. 

Warren looked down at the lifeless boy and smirked at his handiwork, tossing the emptied syringe to the side carelessly. He knelt down and picked him up, bringing him over to a dark corner where he had already placed a cage. Originally, it was probably meant for large dogs, but it would have to do for a hostage. He secured a heavy duty lock on the door and decided that oughta be sufficient for this suddenly stationary demon. 

A couple hours later when he finally heard stirring below, he floated down to watch the panicked mutant unravel before him. 

“Engel,” he whimpered, practically hyperventilating as he frantically looked around with wide, nervous eyes.

“Engel, what is happening? I can’t teleport!”

Warren laughed cruelly, deep and drawn out. 

“It’s funny, really. All these years of fucking despising my old man,” he spat, “and the guy really came through for me. Just this once.”

“W- what are you talking about? Did  _ God _ do this?!”

The winged man laughed louder.

“No, I’m afraid not. My dad is far from God,” he paused, “and you see, he never approved of mutants like you and I. So, he invented ‘a cure’ to fix me, to maintain his reputation, to cleanse society of us mutant scum. But I refused. You, on the other hand, didn’t really have a choice in the matter.”

Kurt merely stared back in horror. He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated as hard as he could, willing himself to teleport as far away as possible. But to no avail. 

“Engel. Why? I wanted to help you,” he said, voice cracking and tears streaming down his intricately scarred cheeks.

“When you took my wings, you took everything from me. And now you’ll lose everything, too.”


	2. Incongruity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt is too pure.  
And Warren has a change of heart.

Warren reclined in his usual spot in the rafters, lost in thought, idly rolling the remaining syringe between his fingers. He stared at it, and glanced down at Kurt briefly before turning his concerned gaze back to the cure.  _ Why is the kid still blue? And his tail, it hasn’t disappeared, _ he began to question the efficacy of the dose. After the riots and protests that took place after the initial release of this so-called “cure”, it was ultimately deemed unethical for Worthington labs to continue production of the controversial pharmaceutical. But Worthington II would be damned if all the effort that was truly intended for the ‘remediation’ of his son went to waste. And, so he hid the last round of production away. Sealed and preserved - just in case. That’s the only reason Warren was able to get his hands on some, under the false pretense that he had finally decided to use it himself. 

_ But what if it’s too old at this point? Maybe its potency has faded? Do individual reactions often vary? Will his teleportation return?  _ He doubted a lot, all the while debating whether or not he should use the second dose on his captive now, before it was potentially too late. But something was stopping him. He finally had him right where he wanted him, sure. That was a victory, right? But now that he had the Nightcrawler at his mercy, he didn’t really know what to do with him. It was different from challenging an opponent on an even playing field. Back in the fight club, everything was fair. Two mutants, two sets of powers, both brawling for the same goal - survival. Survival of the fittest. That was fair, perhaps. But this, this just didn’t feel right. Where’s the fun in having a helpless adversary? 

And the more he considered the circumstances, the worse he felt. He looked at his battered wing, soft down now almost completely regrown, pin feathers sprouting here and there. It was regenerating, like he knew it would. But his victim? Well, he might have just robbed him of his power indefinitely. Now he has to suffer without even so much as the hope that things will get better. At least Warren had that assurance in all his suffering. _Was this a fair trade?_ _Maybe doing this to him was enough. More than enough. Maybe I should let him go. _

Meanwhile, the blue hostage sat in his cage obediently, and honestly too dazed to try and resist. Besides, that just wasn’t in his nature. He had experienced various technologies capable of muting his powers before. It wasn’t the first time, and he figured it probably wouldn’t be the last. As far as he knew, this was just another temporary method of control. Being caged wasn’t a new concept for him, either. Back when his happier days working in the circus were destroyed and his troupe was bought out by a corrupt millionaire, he was drugged and treated like a prisoner then, too. That’s why he had to leave that life behind. However, this time around, he was more distressed by his captor.  _ This must be my punishment. I deserve this.  _

“E-engel,” he called out softly. 

The repetitive swinging of his leather-clad leg ceased, and he was pulled from his thoughts, setting the syringe aside. He spared a curious look down at Kurt, not finding himself in the mood to fly down there and be face to face with his prisoner. 

“I know you’re upset about your wings. And I think it is justified, but I - I still want to help you,” he rambled, thinking about Hank and his medical capabilities.

“No point. It’s already halfway there.”

“But our doctor is really brilliant and he could accelerate the process, I’m sure of it!”

“What are you talking about,  _ freak _ ?”

“Professor Xavier’s school. I- It’s a safe place for people like you and I.” 

“ _ We _ are not the same,” Warren scoffed and swooped down from his perch to halt inches from the cage, threateningly. 

Kurt backed against the far side of the pen, desperate to put distance between them. 

“Tell me, Engel. What do you want with me,” he asked nervously, but still maintained eye contact.

Warren frowned and turned on his heel, slowly pacing around the creaking floorboards. He stopped directly under a beam of sun that filtered in through the neglected roof. Kurt could make out every detail - from the scars on his back that trailed over rippling muscles, to the jarring asymmetry of his wings. He felt immeasurably guilty, but he couldn’t look away. 

“You know that’s  _ almost  _ cute,” the blonde began as he started to make his way back towards Nightcrawler, “we’re perfect opposites because we’re both walking contradictions.”

The golden eyed boy sat silently. 

“Seems like we both don’t allow our mutations to define us,” he smirked, “I guess there’s at least one thing respectable about you.”

“You are so blind, Engel. Your mutation is a gift, and mine is a curse. Everyone automatically perceives you as benevolent. You get the benefit of the doubt, but you forsake it. Why are you choosing to be the bad guy?”

Warren knelt down before the cage, getting on eye level with Kurt.

“You think I’m an angel, huh? Well, then you must feel like you’ve sinned pretty heavily,” he said, twisting his back a bit to show off the hindered wing, “what’s that thing called that you people do to be forgiven? Ah, yes. Repentance? I think it’s high time, don’t you?”

Kurt waited, knowing there wasn’t much he could do by way of defending himself. But moreover, he believed he felt he shouldn’t fight it. The winged man was right, he should be punished for his sins. 

Warren removed the padlock and unlatched the door, watching with a satisfied smirk at the pathetic way the blue boy had to crawl on his hands and knees to get out of the crate. He stood hesitantly, taking the opportunity to stretch his cramped limbs while he could. 

“I know I already took your powers, but I think I might’ve jumped the gun on that one. See, the original plan was to take away what’s most precious to you, like you did my wings. But then this whole Catholic thing really came out of left field, and the more time I’ve spent around you, the clearer it became.” 

Kurt kept his eyes fixed on the ground, but he was abruptly swept off his feet and pinned roughly against one of the crumbling pillars, knocking the wind from his lungs. Impulsively he tried to teleport, but still to no avail. When he dared to open his wincing eyes, he immediately blushed at the close proximity. He was pressed between the wall, and the other man’s body which was pushing up against his own. Warren grinned arrogantly at his gasp of surprise. 

“Then it occurred to me,” he continued calmly, “above all else, a devout person like you would value his virtue. And I can think of a few ways to rid you of that,” he smiled mischievously. 

Kurt instantly panicked as Warren forcefully used his upper thigh as leverage to spread the imp’s slender legs. He shifted his weight into him, grinding against his crotch. The blue mutant exhaled sharply, appalled by the conviction of this man.  _ All this just for the sake of revenge? This is...disgusting.  _ He felt the pit of his stomach drop as the winged man harshly gripped his jaw and looked him right in the eyes. His cold, determined stare easily overpowered Kurt’s anxious demeanor, and Warren smirked before taking the other man’s lips passionately. Kurt felt his whole body heating up, like he was melting. It wasn’t just the fact that he was being touched by another man, but more so the fact that he had never kissed anyone at all. Let alone this...manhandling he was receiving from well - someone he wanted to believe was an angel. But it was clear now, that was not the case. 

His heart was beating a mile a minute. And as soon as Warren broke the kiss, he drew up the sharp spade of his tail defensively, holding it close to other man’s throat.

“E- Engel! I’m afraid you don’t know how repentance works,” he said shakily. 

The blonde quirked an eyebrow, unfazed. But he stepped back, freeing the boy and giving him some space to catch his breath. Kurt’s cheeks were stained a pinkish indigo shade, which only served to highlight the pretty patterns carved into his skin. 

“If I’m really an angel, then I’m just doing the work of God,” Warren said in an aloof tone and shrugged his shoulders. 

“I believe you now. You’re definitely not an angel," he replied, still breathless, "What should I call you, then?”

He haphazardly wiped the remaining spit from their kiss off of his mouth on the sleeve of his studded leather jacket before extending his hand out to Kurt.

“Warren.”

Kurt stared down at the offered hand with distaste and refused to shake it, crossing his arms over his chest instead. 

“I’m Kurt.”

“Why aren’t you running away? I’m not gonna stop you, ya know,” he sighed and ran a hand through his golden waves. 

“There are a couple of things I want to know,” he replied earnestly.

“Go for it.”

“When will my powers come back?”

A sorrowful look crossed Warren’s face as he thought of how to answer. 

“To be honest...they might never come back. I -”

He found himself speechless when he saw the pair of amber eyes full of shock, tears pooling on his lashes. So many horrible feelings hit Kurt at once.  _ This is permanent? None of the other things were permanent! Without my powers I can’t be part of the X-men. I can’t save people anymore. I can’t help my friends.  _ He sobbed unabashedly, completely caught up in his hopeless train of thought.

Warren swallowed the lump in his throat, it was surprisingly difficult to watch someone break down like that. 

“But...um, there’s still a chance, you know. You might get them back. It’s different for everyone. Some people in the past, they got their powers back,” he said, recalling what happened with Magneto. 

Kurt sniffled and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. 

“I might not be of any use to my team anymore, but I can still help you! Please let me,” he asked with noted resolve. 

Warren couldn’t really put a finger on the reason, but he found himself leaving the church with a man he spent so much time demonizing - only to realize that he himself was the demon. And this strange blue boy was the seraph. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo~ That almost took a dark turn. Even I felt bad for Kurt. 
> 
> I'm honestly shook that this is getting any hits whatsoever.
> 
> Thanks for the support thus far, lovelies <3 let's keep this fandom going!


	3. Icarus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warren and Kurt make their way back to New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind, it’s the first time Warren is meeting/seeing any of these people because the joining Apocalypse thing never happened in this story. So, Jean, Scott, Jubilee, etc. have no impression of him yet. I’m not assuming Warren went to Xavier’s school after first refusing the cure from his dad like he did in The Last Stand film, so this is his first time going there. 

Warren followed Kurt through the streets of Berlin, staying a few paces behind. After all, he wouldn’t really trust himself if he was in the other guy’s place and he didn’t want to give him the impression that he was still holding onto any bad intentions. 

“So, Engel. I - I mean Warren! Sorry,” he corrected himself quickly, “there’s a problem. I have been staying in Germany for a little while now, but if we want to get to New York-”

“New York?! The school is in New York,” the blonde cried incredulously, “being anywhere in that damned state is too close to my fuckin dad if you ask me. That's why I chose a whole different continent.”

“Ah. Your family is in New York, too? That’s great,” he beamed, not fully grasping the extent of dysfunction surrounding the Worthingtons. 

Warren rolled his eyes.

“Ok, well obviously we’re gonna have to fly there, since you can’t teleport anymore.”

“What?! You’re crazy! Your wings are in no condition to-”

“On a plane, you idiot,” he snapped, the feathers of his wings ruffling. 

“Please don’t shout at me. It wouldn’t even be an issue if you hadn’t taken my powers,” Kurt reminded him gently, still nervous about how Warren might react. 

\---------------------

“Hey, dad. It’s me.”

“Hey, son. Did the package get to you okay?”

“Yeah, it arrived fine. Thanks. I'm actually calling because...well - I did it and I’m ready to come home.”

A happy chuckle resounded in his ear.

“I’m so proud of you, and I can’t wait to see you without those damned wings. A normal, upstanding boy, the way it was intended.”

“Uhh, yeah….”

“Just tell me which airport and I’ll arrange the tickets. One way, right?”

Warren paused, feeling intimidated by the thought of being stuck in his home state indefinitely. 

“Sure, dad. One way,” he forced a cordial tone, “oh, and could you get a second ticket, please? It’s for a good friend of mine. He’s also from New York, so we can fly in together.”

“Alright, Warren. Just send me the information, I gotta go now. Business as usual.”

“Ok. See ya…”

\----------------

The two were sitting in a waiting area of the airport where they agreed to crash for the night before their flight departed early the next morning. 

“I can’t believe you lied. Lying is a sin, Warren! And to your own dad? That is a double sin. The Lord says you shall honor thy mother and father! How are you gonna hide your wings?”

Warren had been drifting off in silence for a long time, wondering the same thing. 

“So you mentioned that this school has great doctors?”

“The best! Hank is always trying new things and improving upon modern medicine. He’s a brilliant scientist,” Kurt grinned.

“Good...that’s good,” Warren said, more to himself.

He got up and walked towards the nearest restroom, his blue acquaintance right on his heels. Kurt felt suspicious of the blonde’s sudden change of disposition.

“Where are you going?”

Warren walked a bit faster, trying to lose him in the crowds of people on the concourse.

He slipped into the men’s room and tried to lock himself in the large handicap stall when Kurt swiftly wedged himself into the small gap of the door right before he was able to shut it. He shimmied through, and latched the door with both of them now trapped in the cubicle. 

“Dude! What the fuck,” Warren hissed as he quickly hopped up onto the toilet seat in hopes that nobody had already noticed two pairs of feet standing in one stall. 

“You’re acting strangely! And I know I can’t trust you,” Kurt tried to lower his voice.

“You said I don’t understand the concept of repentance, huh?"

"Warren, I don't understand what this has to do with the bathroom," he stated, obviously confused.

"Well," he sighed, looking forlorn, "I figured I'd give penance a try instead,” he replied in a serious tone.

And before Kurt could even begin to try and prevent what was about to transpire, Warren pulled the second dose of the cure from the pocket of his leather jacket and jabbed himself in the thigh. 

“Engel! No!”

Kurt held him as he weakly slumped against the stall wall, and placed him gently down onto the floor. Warren felt every muscle in his body seizing up, like they were rebelling against the substance on contact. And then the cramping began. It started in his shoulders and throbbed all throughout his spine. His pectoral muscles heaved with each labored breath as he grunted in agony. Kurt could only watch in horror as the wings cracked loudly and contorted in ungodly ways. Feathers were raining around them from the violent thrashing of the appendages. It was like they had a mind of their own. 

Suddenly, Warren whimpered and gripped Kurt’s hand so tightly that he thought it might break. And just like that, with a clear, gut-wrenching snap, the limbs broke off and fell lifeless on the bathroom tile. His grip on Kurt’s hand went slack, and he just stayed there, leaning against the blue boy, trying to regain his composure. 

After a long moment of silence and stillness between the two, Warren wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand.

“Warren, why did you do that,” he asked, voice full of concern.

Slowly, and painstakingly, the transformed man sat up and wobbled back to his feet, one arm propped against the wall for balance. He looked Kurt in the eye intently and offered out his hand to help him up off the ground. 

“Now we can both start over. In more ways than one.”

This time the Nightcrawler didn’t turn him down, and took his hand eagerly. Even after hoisting himself back onto his feet, he kept his fingers interlaced with Warren’s.

“I feel bad for the guy who has to clean that up,” the blonde joked, nodding at the mess his wings had made of the stall. A flurry of bloodied feathers and two giant, abandoned wings lay dejectedly in the corner. 

And with that, the two of them walked out of the stall together, hand in hand - leaving curious bystanders puzzled in their wake. 

_ Somehow, I feel a lot lighter, _ Warren thought, letting a small smile form on his lips. 

\------------------------------------

As soon as they landed in New York, Kurt hopped on the first train to Westchester county. Considering his notable appearance and Worthington II’s clear prejudice against mutants, Warren urged him to go on ahead while he dealt with the formalities of reuniting with his father. Honestly, he couldn’t care less about making reparations with his estranged family. His father was a free ticket to where he needed to go, so he capitalized on it. It was plain to see from their conversations on the phone that his dad was still the same narrow minded fool as before - unable and unwilling to accept mutants as equals. And it didn’t matter how long he had to endure being raised by a bigot, Warren didn’t subscribe to that nonsense agenda. 

But the least he could do was see his family once, let them see him as the son they always wanted - normal, flightless, boring. Give them that satisfaction and then run away to that mutant school never to be seen again. So, he did. And everything went fine. He had to bite his tongue a countless number of times for the sake of keeping the peace, but overall, it went smoothly. He spent the night in his childhood room, which felt nostalgic but also depressing. He spent a lot of nights in that bed wishing he was someone he wasn’t. And now there he was - mission accomplished. 

\--------------------

Kurt had written him detailed instructions regarding the whereabouts of the campus, which Warren folded up and tucked into the back pocket of his jeans as he boarded the train. He kicked back in his seat and tried to nap to pass the time. He drowsily opened his eyes and watched the scenery go by while he waited for his stop to be called. He double checked Kurt’s directions.  _ Ok. This is the one. _ Croton on Hudson. He exited the station and dialed the number scribbled in messy writing at the bottom of the note. 

After a few rings, an unfamiliar voice answered the call. 

“Good morning. Charles Xavier speaking.”

“I- um,” he stumbled over his words, “I’m a friend of Kurt Wagner. Could I please talk to him?”

“Yes, that’s not a problem. Just a second while I find him.”

While he sat there waiting on the silent line, it began to dawn on him that he was about to be overwhelmed by the prospect of meeting new people. Sure, they were all mutants too so maybe they wouldn’t be so bad, but he had spent the majority of his life living in isolation. It just became a habit. Perhaps his parents were partially to blame, being absent during his childhood most of the time, caught up with their careers and fancy lifestyles. And after he left home to escape the looming disapproval of his father, the loneliness just carried on from there.

“Warren,” Kurt’s soft voice chimed over the phone.

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m at the station. Where should I go from here?”

“Oh, excellent! Just wait there, we’ll pick you up,” he replied cheerfully.

“ _ We _ ? Who are you-” but the call ended before he could protest.

He waited on a bench in front of the station, mentally preparing himself for an onslaught of introductions. Naturally, he was a pretty confident guy, but after living like he did in Germany for so long - killing in the ring, moping in a church. He felt socially rusty. “ _ Hi, nice to meet you!” Make eye contact. Don’t forget to smile. Shake hands, firm but not too firm. “I’m Warren.” Make sure you don’t bump anyone with your...wings. Right. At least that’s one less thing to worry about. _

The blonde sighed and almost laughed at himself over this theatrical mental rehearsal. The beep of a car horn caught his attention, and he looked up. Parked a short distance away was a yellow convertible, and he immediately spotted a familiar blue mutant sitting in the passenger seat, excitedly waving him over. There were three others riding along: A man with dark sunglasses on who was driving, and two cute girls in the back seat. As luck would have it, the only open seat just so happened to be right in between them.  _ Score. _

He took a deep breath and flashed Kurt a smile as he walked towards the car.  _ Here goes nothing.  _


	4. As Fate Would Have It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warren meets the crew, and begins life at Xavier's school.

Warren tossed his suitcase in the trunk, and nonchalantly swung open the back door of the car to take his seat between the redhead and the girl in yellow. The driver with the blacked out glasses twisted around to face him.

“Hey, man. I’m Scott, but they also call me Cyclops because well,” he paused and tilted his head towards the sky, and removed his goggles, his eyes blasting a threatening red beam into the great beyond. After a second, he calmly put them back on and turned again to Warren, smiling. 

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! I should have introduced my friend to all of you,” Kurt exclaimed in his thick German accent, “this is Warren. And he is an angel.” 

Everyone stared skeptically at the blonde, searching for any proof of the heavenly being in question. Warren cast a dangerous glare at the blue imp for giving such a lackluster introduction. He rolled his eyes at everyone and turned around, lifting up his shirt to show off the scarred remnants of what used to be his wings, now only a pair disfigured bony ridges along his shoulder blades. Both of the girls gawked shamelessly in horrified fascination. Kurt winced and inhaled sharply at the sight of the wounds.

“Eeesh,” Scott grimaced.

He yanked his shirt down and sat back in his seat, a little annoyed. 

“Used to be,” Warren grunted.

An awkward silence followed.

“Uh, I’m Jean,” she smiled, “I’m a telepath. Ya know, mind reading and telekinesis stuff.”

“Basically, she’s a badass,” Scott chimed in, earning a smug look from her in return.

Warren turned his attention to the girl on his right, smirking arrogantly and draping his arm around her shoulders.

“How about you,  _ cutie _ ,” he cooed into her ear.

For a moment, everyone in the car was blushing. And then -  ** _ZAP_ **

“Ow,” Warren hissed and recoiled at the unexpected jolt of electricity. 

“I’m Jubilee,” she huffed, staring him down like she dared him to try again. 

He quirked an eyebrow at her.

“I guess you could say there’s a spark between us,” he winked.

“Forget what I said. I don’t know this man. Never seen him in my life,” Kurt chimed in awkwardly, embarrassed by his friend’s behavior. 

Everyone started laughing, and they pulled out of the parking lot and began their drive back to the academy. 

\-----------------------------

When they arrived, Warren went straight to business.

“Ok, I need to speak to the guy who runs this place,” he said intently.

“Sure. We can take you to the Professor’s office,” Scott offered.

Warren hoisted his case from the trunk and followed the rest of the group. The place was impressive. Sprawling campus grounds in a secluded area, a perfectly manicured lawn. It looked like a ritzy boarding school. 

\------------  
  


The blonde requested to introduce himself to Xavier in privacy, and the gang wandered off as he entered the room alone.

The man in the wheelchair looked up from his paperwork.

"Come in. Sit down," he said in a friendly British accent as he stood to greet his visitor.

"I don't believe I've seen you around here before. I'm Charles Xavier," he paused, "I'm guessing it was you who I spoke to on the phone earlier."

"Yes, sir. I'm Warren," he reached out and earnestly shook his hand, "and I was hoping you'd allow me to stay here. Uh, at least for a little while."

"Go on," Xavier nodded patiently.

“For all intents and purposes, I’m not even a mutant anymore. So, I’m not even really qualified to be here, I know. But the reason I came is not for myself,” he glanced at the floor anxiously. 

“Look, I don’t know if he told you yet, but I fucked up. I - I drugged Kurt with the cure. And that’s why he can’t teleport anymore. Then I drugged myself because well, I had to do it to pull some strings with my dad but mainly - I didn’t want Kurt to feel alone.” 

“The cure? How did you manage to get that,” Xavier asked suspiciously.

Warren stared at his boots, ashamed to admit the truth.

“Warren Worthington II is my father.”

The professor shared a sympathetic moment with the boy sitting before him. He could only imagine the life of a mutant child being raised by that corrupt man. He was infamous for his public hatred of mutants and even more so for building an industry and profiting off of their eradication with Worthington Labs and the cure. 

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry it had to come to this,” was all Xavier could offer.

“It’s ok. I’ve been estranged from them for a long time now. It’s the past and I wanna leave it there, just like this whole mess with Kurt. Which is why,” he paused and unceremoniously flopped his luggage onto the Professor’s desk, unzipping it and revealing its contents - stacks upon stacks of hundred dollar bills.

“I want you to take this, and put it towards your medical research, especially in regards to reversing the effects of the cure. Just think of it as tuition or something. Don’t worry, my dad won’t be missing it.”

“Warren, it’s really not necessary,” he began.

“Please,” he insisted, closing the case with finality and pushing it towards the professor, “if not tuition then - a charitable donation from an anonymous benefactor.”

Xavier sighed and looked up at the blonde in silent agreement. 

“Thank you. I assure you we’ll use every penny towards restoring both you boys’ powers.”

For the first time in a long time, Warren smiled genuinely. 

\-------------------------------

With the increasing number of students in attendance at the school and his unexpected arrival, Warren was going to have to share a room. 

He knocked lightly and waited a moment before pushing the door open. Taking in the untidy space, he noted an alarming stack of twinkies boxes in the corner. The dorm appeared empty, but then a silver-haired man who was laying nonchalantly on the bed seemed to materialise out of thin air. 

“Yo,” the stranger said coolly.

“Hey. I’m your new roomie apparently,” Warren said, shrugging his shoulders.

The other man frowned skeptically, and suddenly disappeared. The blonde could barely detect his blurry form as it passed in his peripheral vision. He felt a rush of air as he passed him very closely. He paused behind Warren, gave him a once over, disappeared, reappeared at a different angle, looked him head to toe again. This went on for a minute or so before he reappeared back in the same casual position on his bunk. 

“I guess you’re alright, dude. Just don’t touch my snacks and we’ll be cool,” he said as he adjusted the goggles strapped around his head.

“I’m Warren, by the way.”

“Nice. I’m Peter - aka Quicksilver. You got an alias?”

“Once upon a time, people had a habit of calling me an angel,” he paused and sighed, “but for now just call me Warren.”

“Whatever you say, man,” he replied before zooming off in another blur and reappearing at a pacman arcade game on the opposite side of the room. 

\---------------------------

After exploring the grounds a bit, he eventually ran into Kurt and the others again. 

“Hey, can we go see that doctor you mentioned? I’ve got a few questions for him.”

After meeting Hank McCoy and explaining their unfortunate circumstances, he led them both to his lab in the secured area of the basement. Warren was pretty much shocked to find that Kurt hadn’t given anybody a reason yet for why he lost his teleportation ability.  _ It couldn’t be possible that they didn’t notice, but maybe he just made up excuses? Was he trying to save my reputation?  _

Hank really did turn out to be as brilliant as Kurt had claimed. The lab was filled with technology and instruments that Warren couldn’t even begin to figure out. The scientist skillfully recorded both of their vitals and took blood samples. 

“Honestly, it’s a miracle you’re still your beautiful blue self,” he said to Kurt as he examined Warren’s wounds with pity, “that serum almost always erases mutated physical traits, too.”

Kurt smiled and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, obviously shy about receiving such an offhand compliment.

“Lucky for you boys,” he continued, “I’ve already done a lot of research concerning the cure and serums like it. I modeled a formulation of it for myself, actually. A medication to help me control my mutation. So, it should only be a matter of time before I work out a compound to counteract it.”

“You really think so,” Kurt asked, his tail swishing back and forth in his excitement.

“Yup,” he stated as he finished taking a biopsy from Warren’s shoulder blade, “just a matter of time.”

\------------------------------

Warren was in such a good mood that he was even able to ignore the  _ clicks  _ and  _ beeps  _ from Peter playing his video games until about 2AM. He fell asleep that night feeling more hopeful than he probably ever has in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I write short chapters, that's generally just how I roll. 
> 
> Thank you all for the kudos <3


	5. Heresy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt has been avoiding Warren.
> 
> Peter and Warren have a bromance moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for this chapter being like 99.9% dialogue.

“So, how do you know Kurt,” Peter asked in a bored tone. 

It was a rainy morning, and Warren woke up late. It was the kind of lazy day where you wake up, but don’t get out of bed. It had been a couple of weeks since he’d first come to the school, and he was finally starting to feel settled in. Adjusting to classes and all of the new faces was a process, but it was going well so far. He was laying there peacefully, listening to the raindrops hitting the window sill when his roommate spoke up. He wearily rolled onto his side to face the silver-haired man who was also still in his pajamas, unwilling to leave the comfort of his blankets. 

“Oh, uh...A mutant fighting ring in Berlin. Dark times, honestly.”

“How did a guy like Kurt end up in a situation like that?”

“Against his will.”

“So, you two fought each other?”

“Yeah.”

“Who won?”

“Who do you think?”

“Kurt?”

“Yup.”

“He’s pretty OP,” Peter replied with a laugh.

Silence. The sound of the rain echoed in the room.

“Did you like....kill anybody?”

The blonde didn’t answer.

In a flash, much like the lightning that intermittently strobed through the blinds, Peter was sitting cross legged on the end of Warren’s bed.

“Come on, dude.  _ Did you?  _ I need the dirty details."

“Yeah,” Warren sighed.

“How many?”

“Eleven to be exact.”

“Whoa,” he said almost in awe, but he didn't press further since it was clear Warren didn't really want to talk about it. 

“Anyways, how did you guys become friends after that,” he inquired.

“I’m not sure if we’re really friends yet. “Acquaintances” might be a better word. He fucked up my wings in the match. So I wanted to fuck up his life. But then I just felt bad about it, and now here we are.”

Peter scooted a bit closer. 

“Can I see,” he asked in an uncharacteristically polite tone. 

Warren stared at him blankly for a moment, considering it. Reluctantly, he sat up and lifted his shirt up and off. Peter immediately noted the various scars that trailed along his chest and abdomen - the only souvenirs he brought back from Germany. Then he turned around, giving Quicksilver a full view of the mess his wings left behind the day they broke off. He flinched instinctively when he felt his flatmate run a hand over the hideous protrusions. It was strange to be this vulnerable to someone.  _ This is what normal people do, right? They trust each other.  _

“Damn, dude. I bet flying was so much fun. I’m jealous.”

Warren turned back to him and grinned. 

“I’ll take you someday. As soon as these bad boys grow in,” he said confidently, flexing his muscular back. 

Peter laughed. 

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

\----------------------------------------

Since arriving, he hadn’t really spent much time with Kurt. He didn’t see him around aside from class, but he figured he was probably just hanging around with his little happy-go-lucky gang. Whenever he did run into him, he would act nervous and behave skittishly. Sometimes Warren wondered if the blue boy was avoiding him, although he couldn’t blame him.  _ Just because he wants to help fix my wings doesn’t mean he wants anything to do with me. It probably all boils down to absolving his sins. And my wings were his only burden, not my friendship. _

So far he only kind of made friends with Peter since he was forced to share close quarters with him.  _ It might not be so bad to be part of a group, _ Warren thought, entertaining the idea of spending time with Kurt’s fantastic four.  _ I guess if I can’t get him alone, I’ve got no choice. _

He casually strolled through the building, looking for any sign of them.  _ The weather is shit today. They’ve gotta be here. _

Finally, he found them all in the kitchen, joking and chatting while they enjoyed some coffee. 

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the fuckin' Breakfast Club," he mocked.

The blonde effectively caught their attention and took a seat next to Jubilee, smirking at her. She conveniently happened to be sitting across from Kurt. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Morning, babe,” he said smoothly.

“How many volts this time, hotshot,” she asked dangerously, electricity visibly charging on her fingertips. 

He scooted his seat away from her a few inches to show that he meant no harm and grinned playfully.

“Good morning, Warren,” Scott and Jean said in unison.

“Morning,” he smiled.

Just as he turned his attention to Kurt, the impish man was already standing up and pushing his chair in. 

“Kurt, where are you going? I came here for you.”

Kurt glanced around nervously for an escape route.

“I um, I’ve gotta go,” he stuttered quickly before exiting the room like he was in some kind of rush.

Jubilee took a sip of her coffee and shot Warren a sassy look.

“You’re always scaring him off, but I can’t say I blame him,” she said, only half-joking.

“I’m gonna go find him,” Warren sighed and got up.

“I’d check the prayer room on the second floor. He’s like the only one who uses it,” Jean suggested.

“Thanks,” he nodded.

He made his way up the split staircase to find this mystery room he’s never even heard of before. Walking all the way to the end of the hall, he found a door that would be easy to overlook. He waltzed in and sure enough, Kurt was in there alone, on his knees in front of a tiny altar, rosary in hand, praying. 

Kurt was startled by Warren’s entry and stopped his prayer. 

“Why are you avoiding me, huh?”

He walked over to the golden-eyed boy and sat next to him.

“Avoiding? I’m not-”

“Lying is a sin, Kurt,” he teased and lowered his voice to a whisper, “especially here.”

Kurt sighed and sat back, pulling his knees to his chest, and wrapping his tail around himself.

“You’re right. I have been avoiding you, but the reason is embarrassing.”

“I promise I won’t tell anybody.”

“It’s not that. I don’t want  _ you _ to know.”

“I won’t judge you. How could I? I’m not in any place to. I mean, you’ve seen me at my worst.”

Kurt sat there silently for a long time, brows furrowed, struggling to figure out how to voice his problem.

“You remember that time in the old church in Germany? You know, after you caught me.”

“When I drugged you?”

“No, no. The other thing.”

“Wait. What other,” he paused and winced at the memory of him forcefully kissing Kurt.

“Ohhhhh,” he added knowingly, “I know that saying sorry doesn’t take it back, but um, I’m still sorry.”

Kurt’s tail twitched anxiously.

“No, it’s not that I want your apology. I,” he blushed and hid his face in his hands, “I can’t stop thinking about it. Every time I see you, I think about it. I tell myself that maybe it’s just because it was my first kiss and it has nothing to do with you, but then when I see you flirting with Jubilee I feel bad about it. And then I worry that maybe I’m jealous. But jealousy is a sin, and kissing boys is a sin. This whole thing is bad.”

Warren simply sat there, taking it all in. He couldn't even begin to imagine the level of self-hatred that came along with trying to walk the path of righteousness. So, he just reached out and gently placed his hand on the other boy’s shoulder to show his support. Finally, Kurt uncovered his face and looked up at the blonde, who smiled at him softly.

“I don’t think it’s all that bad. Besides, you should forgive yourself. You didn’t ask for any of that, and you stopped it from going any further, so you're not the sinner. I am.”

“Well,” Kurt swallowed, “ I feel like there’s a part of me that wishes I hadn’t stopped you that day. And that’s what scares me.”

“I’m not sure what to tell you, man. It’s your belief system, not mine. All I can say is, if it makes you feel so bad about every little thing you think or do, is it really worth it?”

Kurt stared thoughtfully at the rosary beads that were tangled around his fingers. 

“I wish it were that simple.”

“Well, now that you’ve got that off your chest are you still gonna run away from me all the time,” Warren asked.

Kurt blushed. 

“I guess we can hang out.”

“Cool,” he said as he stood up and dusted himself off, “well, I’ll leave you to pray."

"Oh, and by the way, if you ever change your mind, I’d gladly finish what I started,” he added flirtatiously before slipping out of the door and clicking it shut. 

\------------------


	6. Bestow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank has good news.

A few weeks had passed and Kurt spent a lot of time mentally replaying the words Warren said to him that morning in the prayer room. During those weeks, he came to the conclusion that running away from his problems, in this case Warren, wouldn’t fix the strange thoughts and feelings he had for him. Maybe it would be good to spend more time with him, clear the air, normalize things between them. He had been trying to include Warren in his circle of friends, but it didn’t appear that the blonde had any interest in forming friendships of his own. It's not that his friends didn't like Warren, but at the same time, they weren't exactly inviting. Especially since it had eventually gotten around that Warren was the reason for Kurt losing his teleportation. 

Kurt was reading a book, sat back on a sofa in one of the lounge areas for students when a friendly hand rested on his shoulder. 

“Doctor McCoy,” he smiled up at the familiar face.

“Kurt, I’ve been looking for you,” he said, “I’ve got great news, come with me.” 

The blue mutant excitedly snapped his novel shut and left it behind on the couch, jumping up to follow Hank. 

“It is it already time, Doctor? It’s barely been two months.”

“I’m happy to say it is. I’ve figured it out," he assured, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "I told you boys it wouldn’t be long.”

He led him to the elevator, down to the lower levels of the school, and into his laboratory once again. Warren was already there, topless and strapped to a gurney, laying face down. Kurt tried not to blush as he took in the sight. He twisted his head to the side to watch the two as they entered. A pair of golden eyes locked on his own.

“I didn't want you to miss the show, Kurt. Looks like the early bird gets the worm, huh? Doc says I’m gonna get my wings back. All in one go.”

“I also told him it was going to be extremely painful. Hence the precautions we’ve taken to keep him in place for the transformation. Honestly Kurt, I think he just wanted you here to hold his hand,” Hank laughed.

“Cut me some slack, man. If I could take losing ‘em, this can’t be much worse. Besides, the fantastic Nightcrawler here witnessed their disappearing act, so I figured nobody could appreciate their magical regrowth more than him. But I’m not turning down the idea if _you do_ wanna hold my hand.”

Kurt shyly stepped forward and intertwined his fingers with Warren’s. It briefly gave him flashbacks of the time they held hands in the airport after he lost his wings. And now here they were again like this. It felt like every time they came together, there were changes. Big and violent changes. But maybe the consequences weren’t always catastrophic. 

“Are you ready, Warren,” Hank asked calmly as he walked over, injection in hand. 

“I’ve been counting down the days, sir,” he laughed, clearly a little nervous. 

His grip tightened on Kurt’s hand, “okay, let’s get this over with.”

Hank administered the injection and took a few steps back for good measure. 

At first, Warren didn’t really feel anything. For a few minutes, he lay still, breathing shallow, waiting in anticipation for something to happen. Suddenly, Kurt noticed the bony remnants of the wings begin to shift beneath his skin and then violently the rib-like fragments burst through his back. Warren’s whole body convulsed in pain, and he cried out through gritted teeth. 

“Oh my god,” he looked away quickly and felt his stomach churning, but he wouldn’t let go of Warren’s hand. 

The doctor observed in horror, wishing there was more he could do for his patient, but also proud that his work seemed to have paid off. 

The bones didn’t stop. They protruded from the backs of his shoulders, arranging themselves and elongating like the branches of a tree. Warren sobbed and grunted, overwhelmed by the ferocity of the process. His nails dug into Kurt’s skin, but he didn’t let go. It went on only for a matter of minutes, which was nothing if you consider the formation of such a huge wingspan, but it was too much at once for the blonde, and he slipped out of consciousness just as all the little feathers started to grow in. It was disturbing, yet beautiful. Like watching a time lapse of a garden blooming. Except it was feathers...on skin that looked like that of a freshly plucked chicken. And even though Warren couldn’t appreciate any of it himself, Kurt grinned ecstatically as the last of the plumage grew into place. His full, powerful wings - restored to their original glory at last.  _ Heaven got its angel back.  _

Warren was still unconscious when Kurt was given his shot. But since his transformation wasn’t physical, there was no pain involved. He felt a bit dizzy and lightheaded for a few minutes. He concentrated fully on teleporting. He poofed in and out a few times, appearing in the same spot, unable to travel any distance. It was much like when he was first drugged with the cure. But he kept on trying until finally, he could teleport further, and further. 

He appeared back beside Hank in a puff of smoke, his tail swishing joyously. 

“Oh, thank you, Hank! Thank you so so so much,” his amber eyes sparkled more than usual. 

“No problem, Kurt. You deserved it. I’m just happy to help.”

“I’ll teleport him back to his dorm,” Kurt said as he hoisted Angel’s limp form up off the medical table.

“You both take it easy. Don’t over-exert your powers, they need to rest.”

“Yes, doctor,” he said before poofing away with Warren and reappearing inside his dorm, effectively scaring the shit out of Peter who was in his bed listening to music at the time. 

“Ahhh! Dude! Don’t fuckin’ do that,” the silver-haired man yelped, holding his chest like he narrowly avoided a heart attack. But his attention quickly turned to the man in Kurt’s arms. 

“Whoaaaa,” he said softly, not wanting to disturb his sleeping friend. He ran a hand along the edge of one of the massive wings in quiet admiration, barely brushing the smooth feathers. 

Kurt gently set Warren on his bed and tucked him in.

“Hank says he’ll need a lot of rest,” Kurt said, hoping that Peter would take the hint to keep it down.

“Also, I’m sorry for scaring you,” he added before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. He felt exhausted himself and went back to his room to take a nap. 

“Sweet,” Quicksilver said to himself as he smiled down at his roommate. 

He picked up a pad of sticky notes and scribbled a little message on one.

\-----------------------

A few hours later, Warren woke up with a start, feeling sticky and hot. He kicked his blankets off and stripped down to his boxers to try and find some relief. He had forgotten how much warmth the plush down of his wings created. Walking over to the mirror, he spun around and admired the full view of them from the back. He flapped them a few times for good measure, sending a gust of wind through the bedroom. That’s when a neon post-it note stuck to his pillow fluttered in the breeze and caught his attention. He picked it up and read the messy, rushed looking message and a muted laugh escaped his lips.

** _You still owe me a ride. _ **

He switched on the fan and crawled back into bed, still feeling sore and drained of all energy. He soon fell asleep again. 

\------------------

As soon as Kurt woke up from his power nap, he felt good as new - perhaps even better than new. His first instinct was to teleport into Warren’s room once more to check on him. Luckily this time Peter was absent. He was still fast asleep, and looked so peaceful. Kurt felt so much happiness just seeing his friend back to the way he was supposed to be. He got lost in the thought of how much he yearned to see him fly again. He beamed at the idea, and caught up in all this joy of finally being fixed, there was no commandment on earth that could stop him from carefully leaning down and placing a soft kiss on Warren’s forehead before vanishing from the room in a misty haze. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys don't mind the fluffy bro stuff between Peter and Warren.
> 
> I will also focus on Kurt's other friendships more. Who would you like to see Kurt spending time with? The whole group, or just one person in particular?
> 
> But for now I figured that due to the whole religious conflict thing, the Warren/Kurt deal is gonna move pretty slowly. 
> 
> So, meanwhile I'd focus on school life, and their other relationships while they take their time sorting their feelings out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warren finally takes Peter flying.  
Kurt is overwhelmed with jealousy.

__ A week had gone by since Kurt and Warren had fully recovered from the effects of the cure. Hank’s serum had succeeded without a hitch. Kurt was back to teleporting nearly everywhere he went, and Warren’s wings were flight-ready. However, he still found himself readjusting to the sudden burden at his back. He would often knock them into things by accident, and he had to be careful not to bump other students as they passed in the halls. On one day in particular, this led to a rather unfortunate situation.

You see, Warren knew very well that he was just a guest at this institute. So, he did his best to mind his business and stay out of trouble, despite his tumultuous past. Sure, he might’ve maintained the “bad boy” look, but that was just an image for now. He also knew that his name, what with him being Warren Worthington III, would have been recognized by now. And he didn’t exactly have a good head start being automatically associated with the infamy of his shitty father. To make matters worse, word had somehow spread around the school that he was the guilty party in the whole Kurt situation. And that didn’t make him any friends because well, everyone knew Kurt and everyone liked him because he’s kind and what’s not to like?

He was walking through the hall after class had been dismissed for the day, heading back to his dorm when a notoriously rowdy mutant named Pyro roughly jostled his wing as he passed. 

“Watch where you’re going, you overgrown pigeon,” he mocked.

“Whatever, man,” he dismissed the transgression and kept walking.

“Oh, wait a second. Is that Warren? I almost didn’t recognize you! What happened? Daddy buy you a new pair of wings,” he teased, and the two guys that were following close behind him waited like mindless sidekicks. 

“I don’t have anything to do with my father, ok? Now leave me alone,” he replied, growing agitated. 

He turned around and tried to walk in the opposite direction, wishing to avoid a conflict, but he heard their footsteps following him. The halls had mostly cleared out at this point, so there weren’t any witnesses holding the fiery mutant back.

“Did you know that feathers are extremely flammable, Warren,” he asked threateningly as he flicked back the top on his zippo lighter. 

“Fuck off, Pyro. I’m just minding my business.”

“You didn’t very well mind your business when you hurt Wagner, did you?”

“That was a mistake that I’ve already paid my dues for. It’s in the past, now go away. I've got no reason to fight you.”

“You know what I think, bird boy? I think you still have a little bit of suffering left to do.”

Pyro sparked up his lighter but before he could even think about manipulating the flame, Warren knocked it from his hands with an agile swipe of his wings. It flew far off into the large lobby area, and got lost behind some furniture. The clank of the metal hitting the tile echoed through Warren’s head as the first punch rocked him. It was unexpected, and suddenly he hit the floor. Being jumped three versus one hardly seemed fair. They kicked his wings, his ribs, his guts - until his body couldn’t even quite register where the hits were landing anymore. And then it ceased. It was like a flash and before he could blink he was alone on his bed in his dorm. 

Peter never had much patience for guys like Pyro, so when he stumbled upon him and his idiotic friends stomping his roommate, it made for the perfect excuse to partake in a little vengeful debauchery. Not to say that Peter was a bad guy or anything, but he was a naturally chaotic person, as you might expect someone with his abilities to be. But he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy rearranging all of their fists and kicks at the speed of light so that he could take a moment to pause from his hyperspeed and watch them all pummel each other. Before they could even figure out what just happened to them or where their victim went, he zoomed off back to the dorm to check on his friend.

Warren was sitting up in his bed, checking the damage when Peter popped back into the room. 

“Peter, was that you?”

“Well, I saw a damsel in distress and I couldn’t exactly stand by and watch,” he joked arrogantly.

“Oh, my knight in shining armor. How ever can I repay you,” he laughed.

“Are you ok, dude?”

“Yeah, looks like you saved the day before they had the chance to do any real harm. I’ll probably just be bruised tomorrow.”

“In that case,” Peter grabbed the sticky note that was still laying on Warren’s nightstand from a week ago and stuck it to the blonde’s forehead, “I know how you can repay me.”

\---------------------

They stood outside in a spacious courtyard behind the main campus. Coincidentally the weather was perfect for flying, and Warren couldn’t wait to stretch his wings. Peter zipped off somewhere and reappeared in a matter of seconds with a twinkie in hand, munching away. 

“You sure you can lift both of us, man?”

“Yes, actually. I know for sure that I can. But I swear if you get any crumbs on me, I’ll drop you.”

Quicksilver grinned smugly, popping the last bit of cake into his mouth and wiping his hands on his pants. 

“Ok, how are we gonna do this?”

“What do you mean,” he quirked a brow.

“Piggyback?” 

“Pfft! No,” Warren scoffed, “under the pits only.”

“Wait. You’re gonna hoist me up by my armpits and let me  _ dangle _ ?!” 

“Take it or leave it,” the blonde shrugged.

“Whatever you say, captain. Let’s do this,” he replied as he dramatically snapped his goggles into place and stuck his arms straight out in a t-pose. 

“Please don’t do that,” Warren laughed despite himself.

He linked his arms tightly underneath Peter’s and gave several labored threshes of his wings to gain some altitude. 

“You know,” he paused, clearly a little out of breath, “not to talk shit, but I think those twinkies are catching up to you, dude.”

The silver-haired man tilted his head back to look at him with an offended expression. They were slowly gaining enough height to soar. There was a strong breeze if he could just catch it to get some extra lift. A few more flaps and the wind finally carried them up and off. They quickly picked up speed, encouraging Warren to show off a little bit for his friend. He dove down quickly before shooting back up again, earning an excited  _ woooo _ from Peter. They flew high above the trees of the nearby woods, and over the sparkling lake. It felt like forever since Warren had flown for fun, and he was enjoying it tremendously. 

Suddenly, he rode the wind higher and higher until the students below looked like ants. And then, just for fun, he dropped Peter, letting him free fall for several seconds before swooping up from below to catch him in both arms and continue fluttering off along the horizon. 

“Whoa,” Peter said blankly, both impressed and shaken.

“Just trying to show you a good time,” Warren winked.

“For the record, you should never say that to a guy when you’re carrying him bridal style.”

\------------------------

Kurt, Scott, Jean, and Jubilee were all outside enjoying a picnic when Scott pointed out the flying anomaly first. 

“What is that,” he pointed to the sky.

Kurt looked up and squinted. He’d recognize those wings anywhere.

“It’s definitely Warren,” he said.

“Is he…carrying someone,” Jubilee asked, trying to focus on the gliding shape as it headed in their direction.

Jean focused and put a finger to her temple, trying to reach them telepathically. After a few moments of concentration, she started laughing. The whole group looked at her with curiosity. 

“Those dorks! It’s Warren and Peter,” she giggled, “they’re both feeling so happy. It’s almost cute.”

Kurt felt his stomach sink again. Just like he did whenever Warren made passes at Jubilee.  _ It must be nice to get flown around by an angel.  _ He felt a longing to be the one in the blonde’s arms and tried to ignore the thoughts before the guilt consumed him. But his mind only went back to Warren doubting his religious beliefs, and how badly he wished it was that simple to let go of a faith that’s held you up your whole life. He felt worse for wanting that - the freedom of being Godless. Recently, he felt like his religion has been doing nothing but stunting him, rather than bringing peace or hope.  _ Where’s the sense in that? _

“I’m happy for him,” he said earnestly, but his friends picked up on the wistful tone in his voice.

“What’s the matter, Kurt,” Jubilee asked sincerely, “every time Warren comes around or gets brought up you seem sad.”

Kurt sighed and shook his head.

“It’s nothing,” the impish boy said as he got up and walked away, tail dragging lifelessly on the floor behind him. 

Jean read his mind right as he was bamfing away. It was typically against her personal code to read the minds of her friends, but they were all worried about him. He’s just been off his game lately. 

“He feels so much guilt,” Jean frowned, “and jealousy. When I looked in his mind I saw something very strange. I wonder if it was just a dream of his.”

“What was it,” Scott nagged.

“He was kissing Warren,” she said in a foreboding tone. 

The three of them shared confused looks amongst each other.

“Poor Kurt,” Jubilee murmured, “God save him if he has a crush on _ that  _ creep.”

\-------------------------------

The teleporter knew the prayer room would be empty, like it always was. A fact that used to make him feel even more resolve in his faith, now only made him feel like he was suffering alone under the fury of God. The sun was setting through the beautiful stained glass windows, which reflected colorful rays of light onto his scarred skin. He knelt before the altar and removed his shirt. He was running out of room on his canvas. But he found a blank spot, and numbly dragged the razor blade over his skin, extending the pattern of the existing marks. Hurting himself had become such a habit, he hardly felt the pain anymore. It was important for him to take his time, get the details just right, not just for the sake of dragging out his punishment, but to leave something graceful in its wake. As if he could cover himself head to toe to conceal all the shame he was drowning in. 

He was startled by the sound of the door creaking open, and the bloodied razor fell to the floor. Warren stood in the doorway, horrified. 

\------------- _   
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo, baby! That got dark real fast.


	8. Contrition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I should just tag this hurt/comfort 'cause oh boy here we go.

** _I sank into Eden with you. Alone in the church by and by._ **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warren rushed to Kurt’s side and glanced back and forth between the fresh carvings on his rib cage and the razor on the floor. He was trying to figure out if he could believe what he was seeing. It immediately dawned on him that he had always just accepted those scars at face value, from the very first time he saw Kurt. The same way he overlooked the blue skin, the odd fingers, or the tail. Because that’s life as a mutant. Things just come out the way they do and you don’t question it. But discovering that all of those perfectly symmetrical scars weren’t the work of nature - it tore Warren apart. 

“Kurt...Why?” 

The blue boy looked ashamed, and shuffled to back away from the winged man. He curled into himself, trying to cover his exposed torso. 

“You wouldn’t understand. You live godless and free, without so much as even the reign of a father to hold you back,” he said full of melancholy, like he had relinquished the idea of free will such a long time ago. 

“Yeah, I don’t understand. I don’t understand what kind of sick God would want this for you, Kurt,” he said accusingly as he pinched out the flame of the burning candle on the altar, the wick audibly sizzling at the touch. 

“Warren, believe me. I envy the way you live everyday." 

“Then seize it, Kurt! You’re the only one holding yourself back! I’m not an angel, and I don’t know anything about it, you’re right. But I do know that a lot of people - no, _most_ people live with faith without torturing themselves with it. I know there’s a better way. Balance. A win-win situation, you know?”

“There is no other way for me.”

“That’s because you’re afraid to break away from what you think is right. But I'm telling you, this isn't right," he sighed heavily, "Things change all the time, and the world doesn’t stop turning. You can change, too, if you let yourself. You don’t have to lose your religion. You just have to shift the way it dictates your life.”

Kurt stared at his rosary, searching for the answers. Warren sat close to him, their shoulders pressed up against each other.

“You wanna hear a story I've never told anyone before? When I was a boy, I used to hurt myself just like you. For the same reason - I didn’t want to be seen as an abomination in the eyes of my God. And as a kid, that was my father, the person I thought I could look up to. Before my wings appeared, I was his perfect little son. So, when they first started to grow I didn’t want to risk losing that image. I was so desperate to be normal for my father that I remember locking myself in the bathroom for hours, using-” he winced at the painful memory, “using a microplane that I stole from the kitchen to try and grate my wings off. But in the end, my dad still found out who I truly was.”

Kurt looked at him with sad, sympathetic eyes, but remained silent. Warren reached out and tenderly traced his fingers over the ornate cicatrices on Kurt's shoulder. 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, we can’t change who we are. All we can do is accept it, and be the best version of ourselves. I think that’s what makes a worthy person. And our creators, well, they can take us or leave us. But it’s a waste of time punishing yourself for something beyond your control. That’s God’s work, don’t you think?”

Kurt smiled softly. It was barely noticeable, but a smile nonetheless. And that made Warren feel like maybe, just maybe his words might’ve meant something to his friend. 

“But what about the people we love?”

“We can’t control who we love, Kurt.”

The smile on his indigo lips grew a little wider. 

“I guess that makes sense,” he replied thoughtfully.

\--------------------------------------------

The next day, Kurt felt a little lighter. Perhaps someone finally knowing the secret about his scars was like a confession for him. Maybe he could break the cycle. If it was for Warren, he felt like he could do anything. And he was finally going to make the effort to spend time with him, just the two of them - no more running away or hiding behind the safety net of his other friends. 

It began subtly, sitting next to Warren in the lectures they had together, and as soon as the winged man noticed the pattern, he always saved a spot for him. Before he knew it, Kurt was spending more time with Warren than he was with his usual group of friends, but they could tell he was happy, so they didn’t take it personally. Although, they were still a little skeptical of his choice of company. As for Peter, he always had his own things going on, since he was already a permanent member of the official X-Men team; Often popping out on field trips to help save the day and whatnot.

\------------------------

It was a lazy Saturday, and the two were chatting, sitting in Kurt’s dorm, which he shared with Scott. 

“So what’s it like living with him? Ever have any near death experiences? Like if his shades fall off in his sleep or something?”

“No,” Kurt chuckled as he imagined that ridiculous scenario, “honestly, he rarely hangs out in the room. Since he and Jean are dating, they’re always together. And don’t mention it to the Professor, but since Jean has a room to herself, Scott usually just spends the night there.”

Warren lingered on the implications of that for a bit too long and made a visible face of disgust, earning another laugh from the nightcrawler. 

“Well, I guess that works out nicely for you, then. You basically get the place to yourself and you don’t have to worry about Scotty accidentally beaming you up.”

No laughter. _ Guess the Star Trek reference went over his head, _ Warren made a mental note. 

“Warren,” Kurt suddenly sounded a bit serious, “you know that day you found me in the prayer room? I had seen you flying with Peter. You guys must get along really well.”

“Well, yeah. He’s my friend, but he and I can’t talk about things the way I can with you,” Warren fell silent for a moment, “I hope that’s not why you-”

Kurt turned away, his feelings betraying him. 

“Yeah, it was, but I don't want you to blame yourself. It’s like I told you before. That feeling of envy, like with Jubilee. I felt the same way when I saw you with Peter. I’m sorry, a true friend would’ve just been happy for you.”

The blonde scooted closer to his friend on the bed, and reached out, holding his hand to get his attention. Kurt took a break from staring out the window to look into Warren’s eyes. 

“Do you still think about me that way?”

He blushed a little, and nodded.

“I was never able to stop thinking about that day. I know it didn’t mean anything to you, but I guess when you stole my first kiss, you stole my heart, too.”

In that moment, Warren was pretty sure he could finally empathize with all the guilt Kurt has been dealing with - because he felt it. Remorse like never before. 

“You remember that day I took my own wings in the airport, and I said we could both start over?”

“What about it?”

“I think you deserve a better first kiss,” Warren said quietly as he gently tugged Kurt by the wrist, pulling him close, “but this time it can be on your terms.”

He sincerely doubted that Kurt would be brave enough to make a move on his own. But the amber-eyed boy recognized the symbolic gesture that the other was trying to make, and he wanted to act on it. He squeezed his eyes shut like he was bracing for impact and in contrast, softly placed his lips against Warren’s. For a moment, his ocean colored eyes remained open, mostly in shock. But he didn’t pull away, and neither did Kurt. The pair stayed locked in a kiss so intimate and full of innocence that it even made Warren blush. That was all it took, and oddly that was enough. 

\---------------------------------------------   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren's childhood story in this chapter is from a scene in X-Men: the last stand. 
> 
> Ok I promise we're finally getting to the Kurt/Warren moments. Thanks for hanging in there.


	9. Don't You Forget About Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew gets their bonding Breakfast Club moment.   
Truth or dare in the woods.  
Scene inspired by another fic that I can't find right now, but will link when I do.

The following weekend, Warren decided he would finally agree when Kurt invited him to come out with him and his friends. It was a Friday night and they drove out to the local diner for burgers and shakes. The usual gang was all there. 

“Nice of you to finally join us, Warren,” Jean said smugly as she popped a fry into her mouth. 

“What can I say? I’m a busy man,” he joked, trying to make excuses for avoiding hanging out with them.

“Yeah, busy hogging Kurt to yourself,” Jubilee chimed before taking a sip of her banana milkshake. 

“For real. Last week I would've thought you were dating Peter, and now Kurt? You sure move on fast, man,” Scott mocked him.

Kurt nearly choked on his soda.

Warren quirked his eyebrow.

“If I’m charming enough to pick up two different guys in the span of two weeks, then how come my moves have never worked on Jubes,” he asked sarcastically.

They all laughed.

“So, what do you guys usually do for fun,” Warren questioned skeptically.

“Probably nothing thrilling enough for a delinquent like you,” Summers teased.

“Delinquent? Is that the rep I’ve earned just for ghosting you guys a couple of times?”

“You wear leather pants almost every day and you’re trying to tell us you’re  _ not _ a delinquent,” Jubilee laughed. 

He shrugged.

“Usually, we go to the mall or to a drive-in movie,” Kurt finally answered his question.

“Wow. Buncha lames. Guess I  _ am  _ a delinquent,” Warren quipped.

“Why? What did you have in mind,” Jean asked slyly.

“Well, I already scored a bottle. It’s only good manners to BYOB, ya know. I stashed it in the trunk.”

“You  _ what _ ?! Where did you even get alcohol? It’s not allowed on campus, everybody knows that,” Kurt pressed.

Warren smirked and raised a finger to his lips.

“Ok, so, get drunk and do  _ what _ exactly,” Jean pried.

“Doesn’t really matter, does it? When you’re drunk, everything’s fun,” the blonde replied.

“He kinda has a point,” Jubilee agreed, “I’m in.”

“Ditto,” Jean added.

“Okay, fine,” Scott rolled his eyes, “but only after we’re back on campus - no drinking and driving!”

“Sure thing, Chaperone Summers,” Warren grinned.

“Guyyyys~ I think this is a bad idea. What if we get caught,” Kurt chided.

“Don’t worry, Kurt. The adults secretly drink on campus all the time. Besides, we’re all at least 18 here so we’ll be fine,” Jubilee encouraged.

\------------------------------

They pulled back onto the school grounds, grabbed some supplies, and wandered off towards the forest behind the institute. When they all agreed on a discrete spot far away enough from the main building, they set up a little bonfire and laid out some blankets to sit on. Warren pulled a large bottle of Jägermeister from seemingly out of nowhere and twisted off the cap. Before even taking a swig for himself, he handed the drink off to Kurt, who held it tentatively.

“Uhhh, I don’t know about this, Warren. I’ve never tried alcohol before,” he said skeptically, eyeing the label.

“There’s no time like the present! Besides, think of it as a taste from home, mein guter freund,” he joked, mustering his best German pronunciation. 

His friends around the circle eyed him curiously, not knowing whether or not Wagner would actually buy into it.

“Just so you know,” Scott spoke up, “you don’t have to do something you don’t want to just because that creep says so, Kurt. We still support you.”

The blue boy looked between the liquor, Warren, and Scott. 

“Prost,” he cheered, raising the bottle slightly to the sky before taking a large gulp.

He quickly realized that he may have been overzealous and coughed a little as the strong drink kicked him in the back of the throat. He made a face of disgust as he felt the warmth of the alcohol spreading through his chest and heating up his stomach.  _ Blegh! _

“That was horrible,” he announced as he passed the bottle back to his winged friend with distaste, “it tastes nothing like Germany.”

Everyone giggled at his misunderstanding of the expression. Warren drank some like it was water, and passed it off to Jubilee. 

“Ew, why do I have to drink after you,” she stuck out her tongue at the blonde playfully before downing a shot’s worth.

Jean was next, and she threw it back just as capable as Warren had, to some of their surprise. She smirked at Scott’s shocked expression before handing it over.

“Good stuff, huh, Red,” Warren winked at Jean.

Scott took a sip, the contorted look on his face telling them all they needed to know.

“Ugh! Dude. That tastes like jelly beans! The gross black ones that nobody likes,” he hissed, cursing himself for not thinking to bring a chaser.

“Don’t be a pussy, Scott,” Warren laughed, taking his chance to get back at him for the smart attitude he’s been giving all night.

Scott didn’t say anything, just stubbornly took a second drink to prove himself before giving the bottle back to Kurt. 

“Ok, soooooooo,” Jubilee began, “what are we gonna do? Scary campfire stories? Truth or dare?”

“What is this ‘truth or dare’,” Kurt asked curiously. 

“Basically, we all take turns making each other say or do really embarrassing things,” Scott explained.

“That sounds awful,” the golden-eyed boy replied.

“Anyone got any scary stories, then,” Jean asked, looking around the fire.

“Once upon a time, there was a mutant. Except he had no powers and couldn’t do anything cool. He just had wings. The end,” Scott said in a smug tone.

“Wow, laser boy. That really hit home. I’m shaking,” Warren said sarcastically as he fluttered his wings for dramatic effect. 

“How about, once upon a time there was a guy who always looked like a douchebag because he had to wear ugly sunglasses even when it was dark outside. To make things worse, he had a huge alpha male complex so anytime he felt threatened by another dude, he’d make a complete fool out of himself,” Warren rebutted snarkily.

“Boys, come on! Can't you just put  _ both  _ your egos aside and settle down? We're all here to have fun,” Jean interjected as she took another drink. 

“Here, babe,” she gave the bottle to Scott who sighed in frustration before he took another sip and tried to relax.

“Truth or dare it is,” Jubilee said cheerily with a rouge glow across her cheeks, the alcohol beginning to take effect.

“Ok, I’ll ask first,” she continued, nominating herself, “Kurt! Truth or dare?”

Kurt stared in thought for a moment.

“Well, God likes us to tell the truth so....truth!”

Jubilee’s eyes sparkled devilishly as she tried to think of a good question.

“Is it true that you kissed Warren?”

Both Warren and Kurt’s jaws dropped, and they looked at each other in disbelief, their minds trying to figure out how anybody could have known. 

“ _ WELLLLLLL?!” _ They all cried in unison, the suspense killing them. 

“Yes, it’s true,” Kurt admitted, blushing and covering his face with his hands.

“Can I ask something,” Warren began, “that was a pretty spot on guess. Where might you have gotten such an outlandish idea from,” he glared directly at Jean.

“I’m sorry. I never read my friend’s minds, but it was a one time thing and I accidentally saw it. We were all worried about Kurt,” she caved.

Kurt sighed, but he understood her good intentions. 

“It’s okay, Jean. I trust you,” he said.

“I promise it won’t happen again,” she said seriously, “but you on the other hand,” the redhead said mischievously as she turned to look at her boyfriend, “need to get your mind out of the gutter!”

She shamelessly put him on blast for whatever godforsaken thought was running through his head, and all he could do was blush in response. 

“Ok, it’s my turn now, right,” Kurt asked excitedly.

He eyed his friends innocently, thinking of who to ask. 

“Hmmm...Scott! Truth or dare?”

“Dare, man! Go big or go home,” he said confidently.

The teleporter paused and thought for a moment about any bold thing he could come up with on the spot.

“I dare you to wear the lipgloss Jubilee always carries around,” he demanded, giggling.

Jubilee grinned and tossed Scott the sparkly pink LipSmackers from her yellow coat pocket. He uncapped it and messily dragged the lipstick over his lips a few times before puckering in an exaggerated fashion, making all of them crack up.

“I know. I’m hot,” he joked and struck a pose. 

“Ok, ok. My turn,” Summers continued, “Warren! Truth or dare?”

Warren rolled his eyes, already expecting that.

“Dare.”

“I dare you to fly me around like you did with your boyfriend Peter,” he smirked, hoping the request to do him any favors would get underneath the blonde’s skin.

However, Warren was caught off guard, he had been expecting something worse for sure. He didn’t really mind taking Scott for a ride because he knew it would be his turn next, and he could easily get back at him. 

“Sure, whatever you say. But you do realize that you’ll be at my mercy, right,” Warren winked as he walked over to the brunette. 

Scott wobbled a little, feeling tipsy as he stood up. Warren didn’t waste any time, and swiftly scooped the other man up in his arms. The fire crackled and embers scattered about as he swished his wings vigorously until he got some air beneath them. He climbed as fast as he could and careened straight downward, trying to scare the punk he was forced to entertain. 

“Whoa! Cool it, bro,” Scott shouted over the loud wind blowing in his ears.

“My bad! Shouldn’t drink and fly,” Warren laughed, but agreed to relax the pace, gliding smoothly above the trees. It looked like he could reach out and touch the moon if he wanted to. Since they were alone for the first and likely last time ever, the winged mutant wanted to ask a question.

“So, what’s your issue with me, Scott,” he asked earnestly.

“You hurt my friend.”

He answered without missing a beat. So plainly, so matter of fact. It actually hurt Warren a little. 

“O-oh," he couldn't even deny it.

“You know, the people who go to this school. We come to the institute to be good guys. We know about your past, Warren. And I can’t really say you fit that description.” 

“I beg to differ. I’ve run into some people here who are definitely villainous. But you’re right, Scott. I don’t even know what team I play for. For now, I’m just a neutral party. It’s too bad you can’t see that. Maybe it’s those hideous specs of yours,” he laughed, tapping Scott’s glasses playfully as they landed near the group. 

“Well, that was actually kind of fun,” Scott admitted as Warren gently set him down, “maybe you’re not half bad.”

They both sat down in their original spots, the drunkenness clearly hitting everyone now. 

“Ok, Warren. That means it’s your turn,” Jubilee laughed.

“Jean. Truth or dare,” he asked.

“Dare,” she smirked.

“I dare you to race me, since you’re the only other one here who can fly, and if you lose, you gotta tell us what Scott was thinking about earlier.”

“Hey! Don’t make this about me,” Scott cried.

“Oh, you’re on,” Jean said competitively, levitating off the ground. 

“Ok, we race to the fountain in the courtyard. First one back here wins.”

Jean nodded and they lined up side by side, ready for the signal.

“Ready, set, go,” Kurt yelled and they both took off. 

Jean had the immediate advantage because she didn’t have to wait very long to accelerate. However, her max speed could not match Warren’s without considerable use of her powers, which started to tire her on the way back, and being drunk didn’t exactly help. Jean also couldn’t use the wind to her advantage the way Warren could, earning him the slightest edge. It was extremely close, but the blonde ripped past the finishing point about 5 feet sooner than the redhead. In fact, he was going so fast, he had to loop around to slow for a proper landing. 

“Okay, cherry. I won fair and square. A deal’s a deal,” Warren smirked.

She looked at her partner’s helpless and humiliated expression and started laughing. 

“Sometimes I wonder why you even date me, Jean,” Scott sighed, “Go ahead, I know how much you enjoy embarrassing me,” he submitted and pulled the hood of his jacket up over his head.

“Earlier when Jubilee asked you about kissing Warren and you said yes,” she laughed looking at Kurt, “Scott was really surprised and he tried to picture it, but it came out on a whole different scale from what I actually saw in your memories. To be honest, we all thought I was only seeing a dream or,” she shot Warren a skeptical look, “a nightmare. You probably could have just told us nothing ever happened and we would have had to believe you.”

“Wow! Exposed,” the winged man said, “see, Kurt? Sometimes it pays to lie. Then pervs like Scott don’t get to imagine us fucki- Ow!”

Jubilee zapped him before he could finish his vulgar sentence. 

“I think Scott is embarrassed enough for a lifetime” she said cheekily, “although I will say that lipgloss does look great on you. I might have to let you keep it, Summers.”

They all broke into laughter one final time as they picked up their belongings and put out the fire before heading in for the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments and kudos. It keeps me inspired.  
This chapter is so cheesy and full of teeny-bopper moments lol.  
It almost makes me cringe but I hope you like it. 
> 
> Also shout out if you actually like black licorice jelly beans cause I do <3


	10. Two's Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Warren have a day out.

Warren had just returned to his dorm from dinner when Peter trudged in, clearly exhausted. He was still in his X suit and must have just gotten back from an important mission. The silver haired man flopped face first onto his bed and groaned.

“You...uh...okay, dude?”

“Pass me a box of dingdongs from my stash, would ya?”

Warren got up and unceremoniously tossed the box of snacks to him, which landed on his back with a thud.

“Thanks,” he grumbled as he rolled over and ripped the pack open.

He ate half a cake and set it aside, which was notably uncharacteristic. Warren sat down next to him on the bed, a little concerned. 

“Can I get you anything else, man? You don’t look too good.”

“I’m fine. I just need a nap, probably. This job’s too much for a layabout like me,” he moaned, tossing the covers over himself and cuddling up to his pack of sweets, lazily chewing on the remaining half of the cake.

The blonde was careful not to disturb his roommate, listening to his cassette player at a low volume despite his headphones. Eventually he drifted off to sleep, too.

When he woke up in the morning, it appeared that Quicksilver still hadn’t woken up from his nap - he was still wearing the x-men uniform and still had and arm nonchalantly wrapped around his snacks.  _ He looks dead, _ Warren joked to himself, reaching out to gently take the box of cakes. He quietly set them on his nightstand when Peter finally stirred. 

“What’d I say bout touching my snacks, punk,” he joked tiredly and yawned, “but since it’s you, you can have a pack, I guess.”

“No, it’s not that. You realize you slept all through the night, right? You’ve gotten almost 15 hours of sleep.”

“Really? I should just go into hibernation at this point. I feel like shit.”

“Maybe you should see Hank. You might be sick or something.”

He reached out and touched the other’s forehead, checking for a fever, but Peter reached up and grabbed his wrist, pushing it away.

“Not in that sense, Warren,” he said as he raised an index finger to the side of his head and tapped on it thoughtfully, “mentally, not physically.”

“Well, I’ll let you rest, then. But if you wanna talk, I’m here,” the blonde said as he wandered out the door.

He met Kurt for breakfast, which was becoming a habit. Sometimes they ate with the rest of the group, other times it was just the two of them. The blue mutant was always so chipper in the morning, even when they had to wake up early for class. Exactly the opposite of night owl Warren. His eyes must’ve lingered on his friend for a moment too long, as he was snapped out of his thoughts by Kurt blushing and hiding behind his coffee mug. 

“What is it? Do I have something on my face,” he asked shyly.

“Wha- oh, nothing. Sorry,” he stuttered, “you wanna go out and do something today? Like, just us?”

“Sure, what did you have in mind?”

“You and the others go to the mall a lot, right? I could stand to do some shopping, honestly. These leather pants are starting to chafe,” he laughed. 

“Alright,” Kurt replied enthusiastically, “I can help you pick some outfits! Shall we teleport there?”

\--------------

It had been probably longer than a decade since Warren had last set foot in a mall. He was more the type to pop in to a niche shop like something you’d find on Camden. He always felt like making an experience out of shopping was something reserved for bored teenagers or fashionable people - which he never quite fit the bill for up until now. Bored teenagers for sure - the institute wasn’t exactly located in a happening town. 

“Ok, Warren. I understand why you would doubt my fashion sense, but listen, okay? I’m from Europe. And everybody knows that European men have better taste than American men, it’s just facts.”

Warren stopped walking to give his friend a skeptical once over. He squinted judgmentally at his garish red jacket paired with khakis. 

“First of all, I look more European than you, Michael Jackson. Check the bum flap,” he turned and wiggled his hips for emphasis, “straight outta London’s punk scene,” he added proudly. 

“Pfft! It looks like you forgot the other half of your skirt, pansy boy,” Kurt teased back, laughing softly. 

It was remarkable to the winged man how harmless Kurt seemed, even when he was trying to insult someone, there was a soft quality to him. Maybe it was his gentle tone or his charming accent, who knows. But Warren couldn’t help but grin thinking about it. It was so contrary to himself.  _ Maybe opposites really do attract.  _

“I’m not here to be fashionable, Kurt. I think I’m just here for some comfortable stuff.”

“Okay. Fair enough,” the blue boy shrugged.

As they strolled leisurely through the crowded walkways of the mall, he became a little self conscious of all the people gawking at him. 

“I bet this is their first time seeing an angel walk on earth,” Kurt said encouragingly.

\-------------------------------------------

An hour and a few new outfits later, the two bamfed back to the school. They appeared together in a puff of smoke in Kurt’s room. Scott, as usual, was nowhere to be found.

“Wow, he really is never here,” the blonde remarked.

“Yeah, which is exactly why I brought us here! I wanna see what you look like in your new clothes,” he smiled.

“Oh, not this again. You’ll see when I wear them around.”

“See? If you would’ve just let me join you in the dressing room, this wouldn’t be a problem! Besides, I got you something as a surprise. I want you to try it on,” he said as he held out the bag to his friend.

“Fine,” Warren sighed as he accepted the present and unabashedly began to strip down.

Kurt spun around to avert his eyes.

“Are you nervous,” the angel teased.

“No, I just want to see the finished product.”

“Sure. Whatever you say,” he scoffed confidently.

He opened the bag and peered in reluctantly, expecting some church boy outfit, but was met with an unexpected choice.

“Whoa!”

Kurt whirled around when he heard the expression of shock to see Warren standing in just his underwear. He blushed, first because of Warren’s joyous expression, but second because of his sculpted body on display. The blonde was holding up the shirt with both hands, admiring the distressed Metallica logo.

“Where did you find this? I almost feel bad to cut holes for my wings, it’s so cool,” he said in awe.

At that exact moment, both of their heads snapped towards the door as it clicked open to reveal none other than Mr. Missing in Action himself.

“S-scott,” the blue mutant sputtered.

“Oh boy. What did I miss,” he grinned smugly, “maybe I should visit my own room more often.”

“You can fuck back off, Scott. If you’d be so kind,” Warren said, holding the shirt to his body to try and cover himself.

“I swear, if you just got finished fucking on my bed, you’ll never live it down,” Scott laughed, knowing they were at his mercy.

“Actually, we just got back from the mall. I bought Warren a gift and he was trying it on,” Kurt explained as he kicked a new bag of clothes on the floor pointedly.

“Well, then I just have a way with timing,” Scott replied.

“I just needed this,” he said, opening his bedside drawer and pulling out a bottle of ibuprofen, making for the door again, “sometimes the shades give me headaches.”

“But anyways,” he continued, “I’ll leave you to it, love birds.”

And with that, he shut the door behind himself. The two both relaxed in unison, and Warren lowered the talon on one of his wings and used it to cut slits for the appendages in the back of the shirt as delicately as possible. Then, expertly slipping it on, in a few moments he was in the new top. He reached into the bag and pulled out the second piece, a pair of jeans with rips at the knees and some plaid patchwork. 

“Where did you find this stuff?! It’s perfect,” he exclaimed as he pulled the pants up and on.

“There’s an old record shop that sells band t-shirts. I was shocked that you overlooked it, so I did the honors for you,” Kurt smiled. 

With the full outfit on, he did a spin and checked himself out in the mirror, back and front.

“It’s awesome. But Kurt, I feel bad. I didn’t think to get you anything. What’s the occasion?”

Kurt bamfed and reappeared very close to Warren, almost throwing him off balance. 

“There’s no occasion. I just want you to know how grateful I am that you have been helping me change my perspective. It has been difficult and slow to reevaluate my faith, but because of you I can, and I feel freer because of it.”

The winged man spun around to look at him, and took his hands in his own. He gently ran his thumbs over the backs of the blue fingers intertwined with his own. He leaned in and softly pecked Kurt on the lips, smirking as he pulled away.

“Maybe one day you’ll feel free enough to do more with me than just kissing,” he winked.

Kurt hastily teleported back to the other side of the room out of embarrassment, burying his blushing face in his hands. 

\------------------

Warren went back to his room that night, amazed to find that Peter was no longer cooped up in his bed, lazing the day away, but instead had completely vanished. 

_ Hm? Maybe he finally found his energy again. They couldn’t possibly have sent him on another mission already, could they? _

Currently, the school was on Thanksgiving break, so they all had the week off. But when you’re a part of the X-Men, you don’t really get a break. At this time, Peter was a relatively new addition to the permanent team, so Warren figured the missions might be wearing on him. He felt bad that Peter looked so beat the last couple of days. Kurt and his close group of friends were currently X-men in training, and would partake in monthly practice missions. They were only called in for the real thing if it was an extremely serious matter. Angel, as they had dubbed him, had been offered the chance to train, but since he had always felt like his time at the school was temporary, he didn’t think it was right. But as the days went on, he was truly starting to hope that he could stay forever. 

\----------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warren doesn't want to push Kurt's boundaries so  
Sorry, slow burn is slow.


	11. Man Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt and Warren spend more time.

The next morning when he rolled over groggily and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, there was still no sign of his roommate. 

“Anyone seen Peter,” he asked aloud to all of the students enjoying breakfast in the kitchen.

“Haven’t you heard,” Jean began, “he was injured quite badly on a mission last evening.”

“Where can I find him?”

“Gotta get Hank to take you to the medical bay in the basement,” Jubilee replied.

“Thanks,” he said as he rushed off to find Dr. McCoy. 

\----------------

Down in the small hospital, he was surprised to see that Peter was posted up in bed without any visitors. He had a cast on his leg which extended from his ankle to just above his knee. The blonde walked over to his bedside, wings drooping at the sight of his wounded friend. Quicksilver smiled warmly as soon as he saw him. 

“You’re just the guy I was looking for.”

“Lemme guess. You want snacks,” Warren grinned slyly as he revealed the box of twinkies he was hiding behind his back.

“Wow. You really know how to anticipate a guy’s needs,” the silver haired man joked, hastily unwrapping a cake.

“Have the others come and seen you yet? They told me your injuries are pretty bad.”

“Yeah, just to give their regards. Niceties and all that bullshit,” he said, sounding kind of spiteful, "but na, I'll be fine. That's the worst of it," he added, gesturing to his broken leg. 

“You know, I’m sure they really _do_ care, Peter,” he replied as he pulled up a chair and sat down.

Peter softly sighed and shook his head, looking down at his lap.

“They don’t. But they have no reason to, so I don’t blame them. I never spend any time with anybody, so it’s my own fault I don’t have any friends. I think that’s why the professor forced you to room with me.”

“Forced? I couldn’t have picked a better roommate for myself. Besides, I consider you my friend, Peter. That’s why I’m here.”

“I guess I can make an exception for you,” Peter smirked, handing Warren a twinkie like some kind of peace offering.

“Why don’t you hang out with the others?”'

“Well, I’m a bit older than you all so we don’t share many classes. But mostly I just choose to be a loner. Before I came here, I lived in my mom’s basement," he paused to chuckle at how pathetic that sounded, "aside from her and my sister, I was always alone.”

“You have a sister? I’m an only child.”

“Yeah, much younger than me. Well, actually only by a few minutes, but I'll never let her forget that," he laughed, "she's my twin. Her name’s Wanda. Love her more than anything.”

“Oh, that's nice,” Warren paused, unable to relate to that level of familial love, “I know how it feels to be alone, too. It took a few weeks of fighting myself before I finally started hanging out with people after coming here. So, I understand your choices. I don't think it makes you a bad guy.”

Peter looked at him with measured uncertainty, in a way that bared his soul. 

“Not a bad guy, huh," Peter repeated, almost wistfully.

"Warren, you always go around insisting that you aren’t anything like an angel,” he leaned forward and placed a hand on his friend’s head, rustling the blonde waves, “but I beg to differ.”

\-------------------------------

A few days later, and Thanksgiving had arrived. It was a tradition at the institute to celebrate with a big communal feast and spend time together like a true household. Many mutants went home for the holidays to be with their relatives, but there were many who stayed for one reason or another. Some, like Jean and Warren, weren’t welcomed by their real parents. Others like Kurt, never really had a family to begin with. Peter usually would’ve gone home, but due to his injury, he was still stuck in the hospital. His mother and sister, however, came to visit him. His mom even brought him a plate of her home-cooked food.

“I’m so jealous of Peter,” Kurt sighed.

“Why? Cause he sleeps with Warren every night,” Scott teased.

The blonde shot him a dirty look. Despite Scott’s good relations with his brother, their parents passed away when they were both very young. So, Scott also stayed behind at the manor during holidays. But it worked out because he and Jean could be there for each other.

“No, because he has such a beautiful family,” Kurt corrected, annoyed by Scott's vulgar suggestion. 

The whole group fell silent. 

“You know who his father is, don’t you,” Scott mumbled under his breath.

“No. Who?”

Scott leaned in and lowered his voice even more, like he was about to spill some kind of scandalous secret.

“It’s rumored that Magneto is his estranged father.”

Everyone looked around, making sure nobody was eavesdropping. 

“There’s no way,” Kurt replied, dumbfounded.

“Ask him. He even admits it himself. On top of that, I heard the team fought him last night. Maybe that's who broke his leg.”

Their gossip droned out as Warren drifted off in thought at the revelation.  _ Peter knows how it feels to have a villain of a father, too. _

After they had all sufficiently stuffed themselves with dinner and dessert, the five friends wandered their separate ways. Kurt and Warren agreed to walk off the heavy meal and enjoy the brisk Fall weather outside. It was just getting dark, but you could still appreciate the lovely orange and red hues of the leaves in the trees. Autumn was always Warren’s favorite time of the year. 

“It might be because I'm some sort of hell creature, but I’ve never been a big fan of the cold,” Kurt joked as he wrapped his tail around himself, shivering slightly.

Warren slipped out of his leather jacket and draped it over his friend’s shoulders. The blue mutant flashed him a smile in return.

“I’m so glad I met you, Engel. Even if the circumstances were bad, in the end you turned out to be one of the best things in my life.”

“Same. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I regret what I did. But I wouldn’t change it for the world if it meant we wouldn’t be here together right now.”

“I think we balance each other out, Warren. You taught me how to loosen up and be sort of - well, bad. And I brought you here so you could be a good guy.”

His wings ruffled as he laughed softly in response.

“I guess, yeah. When you put it like that,” he smiled in agreement.

“Speaking of good and bad,” he continued, “do you think it’s true? About Peter’s dad?”

Kurt’s honey colored eyes scanned the skies in thought, like the clouds would give him his answer.

“He never mentioned anything to you? About his family, I mean. You’re the only person we’ve ever seen him spend time with, so if you don’t know anything about it, then we’re equally clueless.”

“He mentioned how much he adores his little sister. Never really talked about his mom or dad. But a guy like Magneto? That would be tough, having to fight your own father.”

“I can only imagine, but I trust the Professor. And if he believes in Peter’s ability to be part of the X-Men, then I think he can handle it. After all, Xavier would know the truth, and not just because he can read minds. He and Magneto used to be very close friends.”

Warren shrugged in response, guessing that his blue friend was probably right. They walked along in silence for a good while, taking in the sights around the campus. 

“So, how is it that you’ve flown Peter  _ and _ Scott around, but not me,” Kurt joked.

The blonde grinned handsomely and ran a hand through his hair.

“I wonder,” he replied thoughtfully as he spun in front of Kurt to lock eyes with him.

“Better late than never, right? Isn’t that what they say,” Warren said as he took both of Kurt’s hands in his own.

“Oh, I’m one step ahead of you, Engel,” the golden-eyed boy said eagerly as he gripped his friend’s hands tighter and teleported them both as high up in the sky as he could.

“Woohooooooooooo,” Warren howled.

He felt the sensation of butterflies mounting in his stomach as they gained momentum, falling from the sky. When he had his fill of adrenaline, he spread his wings like a mighty parachute and ricocheted off the wind, holding Kurt close. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to heaven, Engel! It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he shouted, voice bubbling with exhilaration. 

“I could show you heaven,” Warren remarked coyly, “but this ain’t it,” he winked.

  
\----------------------------------------  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Thanksgiving is kind of a problematic holiday, but we do get breaks for it here in the US, so it fit the timeline.


	12. Breaking Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The students at Xavier's institute study peacefully for Winter exams, but behind the scenes, the X-Men face something sinister.

“ _ I just wanna leave this place behind every time I see your face in mine.”  _

* * *

With winter break and the end of the term quickly approaching, nearly every student was dedicating their time to studying for finals. Common rooms, lounges, and libraries were all bustling during this time of year, packed with study groups pouring over books, chatting about life, and drinking coffee. Warren found himself sitting cross legged on the floor in a circle among Kurt and his friends. They were all reviewing for their exam about mutant history and politics, which naturally, was taught by Mr. McCoy. 

Jean sat cozied up in Scott's lap. Jubilee blew on her latte to try and cool it down. Kurt flipped the pages of his textbook with his tail idly. Warren stared through the window at the snow falling outside. His eyes drifted to the burning wood that was ambiently crackling in the fireplace. However, while all of the students were safe and warm, the X-Men were running an emergency mission. Apparently it was a big deal. By now, Hank’s medical miracles had long fixed Peter’s leg. _I wonder if he's out there fighting with them tonight._

“Earth to Warren,” Jubilee waved a hand in front of his face, “quit getting distracted or you’ll never pass this exam.”

“Sorry, just trying to look at anything other than the PDA partners over here,” he remarked sarcastically just as Scott and Jean leaned in to kiss each other. 

“Not our fault you’re too shy to kiss  _ your _ boyfriend in public,” Jean rebutted. 

“Am I,” Warren asked curiously as he yanked Kurt’s tail, stealing his attention away from his book.

Before the impish boy could manage to protest, the blonde planted a soft kiss on his lips. Jubilee clapped excitedly in response, small colorful sparks springing to life from her hands each time they collided. Kurt sat frozen in shock. 

“Der spinnt,” Kurt said in bewilderment.

Scott and Jean turned to look at each other, their expressions unsure for a split second before Jean playfully punched him in the arm.

“See? I told you,” she exclaimed.

“Yeah, honestly I think Kurt is more surprised than the rest of us,” Scott followed.

“I approve! As long as it means Sir Flirts-a-lot will leave me alone now,” Jubilee laughed.

Kurt nervously looked from person to person, blushing wildly.

“Nonononononono,” he shook his head rapidly, “don’t listen to him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

The group giggled at the blue mutant’s exaggerated reaction to being put on the spot. But he was pulled back to reality by another tug on his tail. Warren was smirking at him. He extended a wing and wrapped it around Kurt, pulling him close. 

“I didn’t think anyone could reject me harder than Jubes, but I stand corrected,” the blonde laughed.

“I’m not worried, though,” he continued, arrogantly as ever, “you’ll come around.”

\---------------------------------

The scene was like something from a twisted nightmare. A high-pitched, strangled scream of agony tore through the room. The walls and furniture vibrated, and the windows shattered. There, in the center of the Maximoff family home, Wanda writhed and her face contorted in pain. She was trapped and suspended in mid-air as Magneto manipulated the iron in the her blood to slowly starve her organs of oxygen. 

The team knew that Magneto had been on the move, but as soon as the professor had sensed a disturbance in Wanda Maximoff's signature on Cerebro, the whole team knew he had to be the one responsible. 

“Erik,” Xavier shouted over her piercing cry, hands clapped over his ears, “this isn’t going to accomplish anything! For Christ's sake, man! She’s your own daughter!”

Magneto temporarily ceased his torture, and Wanda fell limp to the floor. Silence encapsulated them. It felt like they were all trapped in a vacuum, a place where only a heavy, tense energy existed. It was only comparable to the deafening sensation of being underwater as pressure flooded their ears. 

“Exactly,” Magneto replied with a dramatic flourish of his cape, “which is why it won’t do to leave her here any longer. In the care of inferior humans. How would that reflect on me? With my agenda, my followers? I think not. But worse, I caught wind of some rather disturbing news, and I knew it was now or never.”

“News? It shouldn’t really come as any surprise,” Xavier replied, looking to Wanda who was shaking, nearly on the brink of death.

Peter, who was at his sister’s side, bracing her in his arms, glared defiantly at his so-called “father”.

“Listen, Magneto! Those “inferior humans”  _ are our parents _ ! You abandoned us! You were never a father! Nothing gives you a right to Wanda! We have each other, but you? You’re all you’ve got! If she wants to join the Avengers, then I’m happy for her! Anything is better than joining you,” he shouted, voice breaking with emotion and tears pooling at the corners of his eyes.

Wanda had still been living at home, biding her time, deciding what to do. Did she want to use her powers, or try to live a normal life? She wasn’t sure. Naturally, Xavier knew about her gifts, and extended many an invitation to join the X-men or at the very least stay at the institute. But at this junction in her life, she had been awaiting an opportunity that would allow her more independence from her brother. Her whole life, she felt like them sticking together is what made their world go round, but she knew that if she wanted to grow and reach her full potential, she would have to learn how to get along on her own. That was when recently, Professor Xavier had learned of a mercenary group of heroes, known as the Avengers, and thought it might be a good fit for the girl and her immense power.

“Wanda will do great things, whatever path she chooses,” Xavier said sternly, “but she hasn’t chosen you, Erik. Now, stand down!”

“She’ll fight for me even if it has to be by force,” Magneto shouted.

And with that, the X-Men rushed in with their barrage of attacks. Hank lunged forward, transforming into a blue beast in the blink of an eye. He swiped wildly at the villain, but a metal filing cabinet flew from one corner of the house, taking him out in seconds. Wolverine charged in, claws extended, but was immediately tossed around like a marionette, Erik controlling his adamantium skeleton. In the chaos, Mystique expertly slid below the metal bender, sneaking up behind him and attempting to choke him out with her legs. She fought desperately to remove his helmet. However, the shapeshifter was too slow and was thrown off, pinned to the wall by a bent lamp pole. 

Xavier, his telepathic powers rendered useless by the protection of Magneto’s helmet, moved to stand in front of Peter and his vulnerable sister. The silver-haired boy gently laid down the very weak Wanda, and stood up. Just like that, he rushed in, in a dash invisible to the average eye. Even Magneto couldn’t see him. He landed kicks and punches on Erik at the speed of light, warping the momentum to increase the impact. 

The Professor could only see his old friend being pummeled before him by an invisible force. The loud cracks of the hits connecting were plainly audible in the otherwise silent living room. Just as Peter reached in to knock the helmet from his head, Magneto summoned a hail of sharp silverware from the kitchen, which he violently ricocheted at random within his radius. Peter dropped to the floor, grunting in pain with several knives and forks embedded in his arms, legs, and abdomen. Erik was bleeding and bruised, clearly agitated by the beating he had just endured at the hands of his own son. He levitated threateningly above Peter.

“Why do you have to make this little family reunion so,” he paused to forcefully twist one of the knives stuck in Peter’s legs, “ _ painfully _ awkward.” 

Peter cried in agony. Xavier was helpless to all but watch the scene unfold before him.

“You know,” Erik continued, “it’s funny that they call you ‘Quick  ** _Silver_ ** ’. Perhaps that’s why even after all these years, I can still control you,_ son_,” he said, voice full of malice. 

“Now,  _ her _ on the other hand,” he said as he turned and faced his unconscious daughter, “I think I may have lost control. And what a pity that is.”

“Erik, no,” Xavier demanded as he held his ground in front of Wanda.

But there was nothing anyone could do as he shifted the magnetic field and lifted her helpless form into the air. Her brother struggled to get back on his feet.

“Stay down,” Magneto commanded, driving the sharp utensils deeper into his son’s flesh, forcing him back to the floor.

As she levitated within Erik's reach, he reached out a hand and tenderly stroked her cheek. His eyes showed a flicker of softness that almost mocked true lament. Then as quickly as it came, it went. He raised a fist to the sky and the whole house vibrated, deep rumbles echoed through their chests as he disrupted the magnetic field within her body - the powers residing within her naturally resisting it. Red waves of magic pulsed around her frame. Until the silent struggle ended. 

The Scarlet Witch was no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know.  
I made you wait so long to have barely any Kurt/Warren action.  
I'm sorryyyy, okay?  
It's called a plot device!


	13. In Stride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warren gives Kurt an ultimatum.

The relaxation of winter vacation had finally come. Like November break, Kurt and Warren would be staying on campus during the holidays. It was a sunny morning, and a flurry was falling softly. Out in the courtyard, Warren dusted some snow off of a bench and took a seat. He sipped his coffee which he clutched close to his chest, keeping his fingers warm. Kurt eagerly sat in the spot beside him, his cup of hot cocoa steaming in the frigid air. The blonde scooted a bit closer to his blue friend, smirking a little as Kurt fidgeted nervously with the drink in his hands. 

“You aren’t planning on going home for Christmas,” Kurt asked curiously.

“Not in a million years, man. Fuck my dad. I’m done trying to be cordial with him.”

Kurt winced a little at the harsh tone. It got him thinking about his adoptive family, and his time at the circus. Before everything went awry, that is. He wondered if anyone missed him, because he thought about them all the time, especially at times like this. When he knew all of the other mutants went home, and shared happiness and food and gifts with people who genuinely cared about them. His heart yearned for that, too. He didn’t even know who his real family was, which almost made it worse - thinking that they might be out there somewhere, just beyond his reach. 

“You know what I miss?”

“Huh?”

“Adventskalendar,” the elfish boy sighed, “it isn't anything grand when  I think about it now, but back then it was so exciting to count down the days to Christmas. The chocolate was just a bonus,” he smiled thoughtfully as he took a sip from his mug.

“Oh? We never really did advent calendars growing up.”

“Das ist schade,” Kurt said, shaking his head, “but there’s one thing you didn’t miss out on.”

“What would that be?”

“Krampus Nacht,” Kurt laughed, reminiscing over all the old folklore from his homeland.

“What do you mean I missed out? I have the spitting image of him sitting next to me right now,” Warren teased.

But before he even got a chance to read his friend’s reaction, he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Warren stood up and whirled around, looking for any trace of him, when suddenly a huge snowball collided with the back of his head. His ears were filled with the sound of Kurt’s laughter.

“Haha! If I’m so devilish, I have to act the part, right,” Kurt said mischievously.

The winged man had barely finished wiping the ice from his shoulders and hair when he heard the sound of Kurt  _ bamfing _ away again. And only a couple seconds later, the second snowball came hurtling in, this time bursting right on his chest. 

“I see how it is,” he said competitively, setting down his cup of coffee and kneeling in the snow to start patting out a colossal snowball of his own. 

Once he was satisfied with his monstrous ice bomb, he swiftly took to the skies.

“You can’t teleport forever, Crawler!”

Out of his peripheral vision he caught sight of a familiar puff of smoke, and he broke hard in that direction, flying dangerously low to the ground. Finally, Kurt rematerialised and Warren went in for his aerial attack. He swooped around expertly and skidded in for a landing, simultaneously tackling Kurt down as the massive ball of snow exploded in a blizzard against his friend’s back. The two fell over in the powder together, laughing.

Warren rolled onto his side to stare directly into Kurt’s golden eyes, his expression turning serious. 

“I hope you know I was joking,” he said as he extended a hand to run a finger along Kurt’s pointed ear, “you don’t look like Krampus, but if you ever showed up to punish me for being naughty, I would probably let you,” he winked. 

Kurt blushed, and stood up, wiping the snow from his clothes. He took in the sight of Warren laying in the pure white snow, wings sprawled out behind him.

“This might be the only time anyone can ever say they’ve seen a  _ real _ snow angel,” Kurt smiled down at him warmly.

Warren laughed, the heat of his breath coming out in small puffs of steam. Standing up, he ruffled his wings, a mist of snow flinging off of the ivory feathers. He reached out and gingerly dusted some snow from Kurt’s hair. 

“I thought you said you weren’t a fan of the cold,” he remembered.

“Yeah, I think my tail will get frostbitten if we don’t go back in soon.”

“I can think of something to warm us up,” Warren replied flirtatiously. 

“Oh, please,” Kurt rolled his eyes and took the blonde’s hand, promptly bamfing them away.

The pair reappeared in Warren’s room, where Peter was nowhere to be found. It had been a few weeks since the passing of his sister, and he’d been gone ever since. The family held a service, and everyone from the school attended. But since the funeral, Peter hasn’t come around.  _ He probably just needs time to himself, time to grieve. It’s only natural. _

At night whenever Warren rolled over to face the empty bed, the words Peter had spoken to him about his sister would echo in his head.  _ “Love her more than anything…” _

Those words haunted him, made him feel sick, and it wasn’t even his pain to feel. He could only imagine how much his roommate must be hurting, wherever he was.

He snapped his head away from the vacant bunk and forced himself to stare back into Kurt's golden eyes. Swallowing down the dark feelings, he tried to drown them with a typical quip.

"So, you had the same idea as I did after all," the lust was evident in his voice.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, mein freund," Kurt smirked, falling back onto the bed.

"I just figured," he paused, "I'd drop you off at your place like a gentleman."

"I'd say that's charming, but 'dropping me off' implies that you're going, and I really don't want you to go," he said, sitting on the bed beside him.

A small blush crept its way across Kurt's blue cheeks as Warren leaned in and nibbled softly on one of his ears.

"Wh-what are you-"

"You're so cute. You know that, right?"

"Warren," he stammered as he felt soft lips trail along the curve of his neck.

"I've wanted you like this for so long.”

Warren’s hot breath snaked over his skin, sending chills down his spine that radiated all the way to the tip of his tail.

"Warren, please," he whimpered, gently pushing the stronger man back.

"What's wrong," the blonde asked, a look of both impatience and concern clouding his eyes.

"You know I can't. I like you so much, Warren, but that doesn't change the fact that it's sinful.  I don't think I could ever forgive myself," he said, his expression downcast.

"For what?! Loving someone who loves you more than anything in the fucking world," Warren shouted accusingly.

"It isn't all riding on just love. It's not that simple," he shook his head, all of his feelings conflicted inside, dropping like lead in the pit of his stomach.

"What's it riding on then? Your ticket to heaven?! The fact that you'll burn in hell if you dare to be yourself?! Some of us are already damned! And what about us, huh?! Why waste your time with a heathen like me if everything I am is so contrary to your beliefs? You just like the idea of me, having an angel for a friend like it will get you closer to God, but then you treat me like I'm so depraved! Well, you need to make up your fucking mind. Is it the afterlife that matters more  to you, or this one?!"

Kurt stood up dejectedly with tears forming in his eyes just before he disappeared in a blue puff of smoke.

_ Shit... _

Warren was left alone in his cold, empty room with only the ghost of Peter and the guilt of lashing out at his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More trouble in paradise.  
Damn, Tay. Where's the comic relief?
> 
> Also, I know in the canon Mystique is Kurt's mom.  
But as far as I know, the new timeline movies haven't addressed that yet.  
So, we are leaving it at that.


	14. Soul Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is back, but something is amiss.   
Kurt tries to trust his emotions with the help of his supportive friends.  
Warren really doesn't wanna go to the New Year's Eve party.

Almost a week had gone by since Warren had lost his patience with Kurt. Today was News Years Eve and the Institute would be hosting a big gala this year. It was the first time the school would be hosting such a big event that was open to the public. Supposedly everyone would be there, including important government officials. It was all part of the Professor’s efforts to promote friendly relations between the mutants and the general population. Warren was hoping his dad wouldn’t dare try and show his face there.

Warren was surprised to see Peter in the kitchen that morning, looking worse for wear but obviously trying his best. Everyone was crowding him, being amicable, letting him know how much he was missed and catching him up on this and that. Some were offering to share their notes, some handing him presents that they hadn’t gotten the chance to give him on Christmas. Quite frankly, he looked a little overwhelmed, so Warren figured it was a good time to rush in and save his friend. When their eyes met, Peter visibly lit up, if only for a second. It gave the blonde an unfamiliar sense of satisfaction, considering how down he’d been feeling. Recently, it was hard to feel like anything but the bad guy after what he'd said to Kurt, so thinking that he could cheer someone up made him feel like less of a villain.

_Yeah, everything will work out. Maybe some time apart from Kurt will give him space to sort out his choice,_ he thought to himself. _Will I be okay if Kurt chooses religion over me, not really, but what can I do?_ He’d rather give the ultimatum than go on chasing something he’ll never have. That's why he knew it had to be done, no matter how cruel it seemed. _In the meantime, I might as well focus on something concrete._ His friend was finally back. 

\--------------------------

"You have more discretion than the others, ya know, by not bringing it up," Peter said nonchalantly as he laid back on his bunk, arms crossed behind his head.

"Yeah, well. No sense rubbing salt in the wound, right?"

"My mom sorta forced me back, even though I didn't personally feel ready. She said the party would help me socialize, get my mind off it for awhile. The key to moving on or whatever.  _ Pffft! _ Sure, if you get shitfaced enough, it'll take your mind off  _ anything  _ for awhile."

Peter let out an exasperated sigh and covered his face with his hands.

"But to be honest, while I was away, if I wasn't thinking about Wanda, I was thinking about you. Maybe that kind of attachment is dangerous, but I guess you make for a good distraction."

"You don't have to explain, man. I know, I’m just naturally charismatic,” Warren joked arrogantly.

Quicksilver nodded and quirked a sympathetic smile.

"So, how have things been with you and Kurt?"

The blonde groaned and slumped back onto his bed.

"Not so great...We got into it last week and we haven't exactly been on speaking terms since."

"Oh...shit. Well, Kurt's a good guy. He'll come around,” he said as he rolled onto his stomach to face his roommate. His tone suddenly sounded more suggestive.

“In the meantime, you've got me."

\--------------------

"Hey, Peter! Everyone is so glad you're back. Word travels like wildfire around here. Anyways, can I talk to you in private for a minute," Kurt asked curiously.

Peter raised a brow in a skeptical way.

"Okaaay."

Kurt touched his arm gently and teleported them both to the privacy of the roof.

"So...you know Warren pretty well, right?"

"Oh, this is about him," Peter’s voice took on an unimpressed note.

"Uh, yeah. Well, you see, the thing is... you know I'm a religious person."

"Yes, who doesn't," Peter rolled his eyes.

"Well, I like him. Um, that way. You understand, don't you," Kurt's big, golden eyes searched for empathy in Peter's cold expression.

Peter crossed his arms.

"Good for you. And what does this have to do with me exactly?" 

"Well, we got into a little fight and I wanted your opinion on something, being that you know him better than most people at the institute," the blue mutant blurted out nervously.

"He wants me to decide - between him or my religion, and I don't know what to do,” he admitted.

"Sorry, kid. Can't relate. In my opinion, the fact that you even have to choose means you must not really care all that much," Peter replied tactlessly. 

"...don’t care?"

Kurt's voice sounded broken. He felt even more confused now than he had before. Do his own feelings betray him? And if he doesn't even really love Warren, then is it worth straying from the path that he's followed so closely all these years? He hasn't known anything else for so long. And who is he to know what’s love and what is not? Maybe Peter is more experienced with these things. All of these questions plagued him at once. 

"Sort yourself out, Kurt. That's all I can say," he turned to walk away, "oh, and Happy New Year," the silver-haired man said before he jettisoned off, running so fast that gravity kept his feet flush against the wall of the mansion as he ran down the side at a 90 degree angle and disappeared from sight.

\-------------------

"Really? That's what he said? What a jerk-wad," Jubilee exclaimed in disbelief.

"Don't mind him, Kurt," Jean comforted, "I've been sensing shady vibes from him all day since he came back this morning".

"Yeah, from what I know of the guy, he's always had a hard time deciding where his loyalties lie. He could never fully be trusted, even the Professor always worried about him going AWOL," Scott added.

“Well, he’s obviously just being rude to keep Warren to himself. Probably because he’s lonely, but look - nobody can tell you how you feel, Kurt. You’ve gotta trust your heart,” Jubilee said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

“You know we all support you, Kurt. Even if your religion says it’s wrong, we’re all still going to be your best friends, whether you like Warren that way or not,” Jean smiled. 

Kurt cracked a wide, toothy grin, hoping his friends could see just how much he appreciated them.

“Aw, man. You guys really are the best,” he beamed.

\------------------------------------

_ Trust my heart _ ? He thought about the advice Jean had given him earlier.  _ Who knows if a monster like me even has a heart?  _ The self-doubt found itself creeping up again.  _ Whatever the opposite of this is, I guess. Don’t doubt yourself, trust it,  _ he thought, trying to encourage himself. He sighed audibly and flopped back on his bed.  _ It’s just gonna take some time… _

“What are you wearing to the party tonight,” Scott asked from the other side of their room as he dug through the closet, tossing clothes everywhere as he rummaged around.

“Oh, shoot! That’s right! I totally forgot about the New Years Eve party,” Kurt jumped up and joined Scott in his frantic closet raid.

“You think you’ve got problems, dude?  _ I’ve _ gotta match with  _ Jean, _ ” Scott groaned.

“Hey, at least you _have_ a date!"

\---------------------------------

“So, uh, Warren,” Peter cleared his throat, trying to maintain his apathy.

“‘Sup?”

“You know I don’t usually do the whole party thing, especially not with all these sleazy political guys coming around. But since my mom insisted it would be good for me, I figure I oughta try.”

Warren put his hands on his hips. 

“I wasn’t planning on going. The thought that my dad might come just for the sake of saving face makes me sick. I was just gonna hunker down in here.”

“Oh, really? Cause I was gonna ask you to be my date,” Peter grunted with a mouth full of twinkie.

“Charming,” Warren replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

The silver-haired man finished his snack and sat up.

“No, man. I’m serious. Besides, if your old man is there, that’ll be even better, right? Think of the shock value. ‘Not only is my son a mutant, but he’s a  _ gay mutant _ at that! Imagine my luck’,” he put on his best dad impression. 

“That was actually pretty spot on,” the blonde laughed, “but all jokes aside, I can’t. I don’t do parties, either. Especially not a fancy soiree like this one. It’ll remind me too much of my childhood.  _ Ugh. _ No, thanks,” he made a face of disgust. 

Peter disappeared in a blur and reappeared in front of him, holding a blue suit. 

“If you don’t go to fancy places, then  _ what’s this for _ , Mr. Esquire,” he teased.

“I keep a suit just in case. It doesn’t mean anything,” Warren scoffed. 

“Pffft! Just in case,” he mocked, “it’s tailored and everything! Come on, you’ve gotta at least let me see it on.”

“Why? What were you gonna wear? And please don’t tell me you were just gonna put on a blazer over your Pink Floyd shirt and call it a day because that  _ won’t fly, _ ” the winged man laughed. 

“Wow, you vastly overestimate me. And here I was trying to choose between showing up in my pajamas or just saying ‘fuck it’ and streak through the gala instead,” Peter replied sarcastically.

“No,” he continued, “it’s a surprise, but I would never ask out a buddy and embarrass them. Just trust me, we’re gonna look like a GQ magazine cover.”

“Okay, okay.  _ Fine! _ I’ll go,” Warren huffed, “but any sign of my dad and we’re bailing.”

“Not even gonna let the boyfriend get your parent’s approval? What a shame,” Peter joked. 

“Who? You? I’ll spare you the anticipation, he’ll _never_ approve.”

“Ouch, man! I wasn’t talking about me, but I would be much obliged,” Peter winked, “I meant Kurt.”

“Peter, you know he and I aren’t on good terms right now.”

“He approached me earlier today, you know,” Peter snickered, “asked me what I would do._ I know _ what I would do. That’s the difference. People like that are a lost cause, Warren. Choosing make-believe bullshit over flesh and blood. What a riot.”

“To him it’s not make-believe.  _ That’s _ the difference,” Warren answered sharply.

\-------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My time skips are usually longer, but the events in this chapter are all happening in the same day, leading up to the big party. Just fyi :)  
As always, thank you for reading, lovelies.  
And happy holidays.


	15. Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the New Years party kicks off  
everyone is celebrating, having a good time  
or are they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooooooo, y'all. I'm so sorry.   
I took so long to update   
and I have the audacity to come back with this cheesy mess.   
EXTRA CHEESE PLEASE   
you've been warned

“How do I look,” Kurt asked Scott, stepping back and tentatively eyeing himself in the mirror. 

“Err...maybe I should tuck my tail in,” he said, spinning around,  “I don’t want to make all of our guests feel uncomfortable.” 

“Don’t sweat it, Kurt. Just be yourself, that’s the whole point of getting along with the humans - not having to hide anymore,” Scott reassured. 

“Um, how about me? Is this green tie too much?” 

“Not at all! Jean will be happy you took the time to match her dress,” Kurt grinned.

“Speak of the devil,” Scott replied as Jean and Jubilee waltzed into the room without bothering to knock. 

“Who’re these two handsome men,” Jubilee chirped as she clung to Kurt’s arm. 

“Hmmm, can’t say I recognize them,” Jean played along as she coyly pulled Scott in by his tie and gave him a peck on the cheek. 

“You both look great,” the redhead added. 

“We could say the same for you, ladies,” Scott winked. 

Kurt shyly smiled at Jubilee as they locked arms and followed Scott and Jean’s lead out to the main foyer.

\------------------------------- 

“Whoa get a load of Warren,” Jubilee wolf whistled as the winged man came into view, mixed in with the crowd on the dance floor, “but who’s that he’s dancing wi-” 

“Oh my god…” her jaw dropped in disbelief. 

“Don’t say the lord’s name in-” Kurt hastily made to correct her, but was quickly put in his place. “Oh my god,” he repeated, “With Peter?! No way!” 

Warren’s back was turned to his group of friends as he slow danced with Quicksilver, the other's hands gripping his waist. They were gently swaying back and forth. Peter quickly noticed the stares from the flabbergasted group over his dance partner’s shoulder as they moved in closer. He locked eyes with Jean and shot her a threatening look as she tried to pry into his mind. The silver haired man winked at her slyly as he grabbed Warren by the hand and pulled him away. They disappeared into the crowd.

“Guys,” Jean gasped as she clasped both sides of her head, grimacing in frustration. 

“What’s the matter,” Scott asked, concerned.

“Something’s not right with Peter,” she looked at the others gravely, “I couldn’t read his mind!” 

“Are you sure it hasn’t always been like that,” Jubilee checked, trying to calm her down. 

“Listen,” she scoffed, “didn’t you see the way he looked at me?! It was dangerous...” she paused, digging desperately to get any reading from that encounter, “we'd better keep an eye on him.” 

\----------------------------------

“So, uh…please explain where exactly you’re taking me,” Warren questioned. 

“Don’t make it weird, man. Just wanted to get away from all the people for a bit. Didn’t you find it stuffy in there?” 

“Yeah, I couldn’t relax, everyone was staring at us. But of course they would, with you feeling me up like that,” he snapped. 

Hand still tightly grasping the blonde’s, Peter led them outside and around to a quiet side of the building. 

“Yeah, you should've seen the look on your little boyfriend's face,” he laughed. 

Warren moved his lips, clearly wanting to ask about Kurt, but Peter gripped his waist firmly and pulled their bodies flush together, crushing his wings between his weight and the stone wall of the school. 

“Shhhh- Don't stress about him...or any of that right now. If he was ready, he would’ve cut in,” Peter replied curtly. 

“Does it bother you,” Warren asked bluntly as he pushed away from the other, creating a more comfortable distance between them. 

For a split second, the silver haired man looked hurt, but his expression recovered.

"No, actually," he was quiet, "nothing bothers me when I'm with you. Why do you think I've been seeking you out?" 

“Don’t act stupid. You’ve been acting out of character all day. It's like you’re jealous or something. What’s gotten into you?”

“Should I be? I feel like I’ve got you right where I want you, Warren.” 

The demeanor, the tone, there was something devious there - overtly  _ sexual _ ? It made the blonde’s stomach churn. Everything was off. And as much as Warren had been trying to give his friend the benefit of the doubt, he needed a break. 

“Whatever you say, man. Come find me when you decide to quit acting weird. I’m gonna go hang with the others.”

Just as Warren slipped out of Peter’s sight, his vision went blurry and he lost balance. Peter stumbled backwards, grasping the wall to hold himself up. He crumpled to the floor, feeling the world spinning around him before he lost consciousness. 

\----------------------

“What are you doing, Emma,” Erik snapped.

“Look, I can only do so much! Long term mind manipulation isn’t good for him or  _ me _ ,” she insisted. 

She stood up, clearly exhausted. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll just rest for a bit and return when an opportunity presents itself. Besides, that damn redheaded telepath of theirs is sensing something already. I can feel it. If we leave your son to his own devices for awhile, it can't cause any harm. And maybe they’ll lower their guard.”

“You’d better be right... That brat of a boy. I hope he appreciates the lengths a parent has to go to...just to have an obedient child.” 

\----------------------------------

Kurt lit up when he saw Warren heading back inside from the courtyard. The fact that Peter wasn’t with him was just a bonus. He couldn’t help but admire how handsome he looked in his perfectly tailored suit, how it hugged every curve in the most flattering way. 

“Warren,” he said as the blonde came within earshot, “we thought you went missing in action. Come on, the others would like to spend time with you, too.”

A warm smile spread across the angel’s face, but then it quickly faded, replaced by an uneasy expression that his friend couldn’t quite read.

“Kurt, wait...I owe you an apology.”

The blue boy just shook his head. 

“You should know that a man of God like myself would have long forgiven you by now,” he laughed, although inside he couldn’t shake the nagging urgency of Warren’s ultimatum. But now he felt like getting Warren away from Peter was a more pressing matter. If Jean was sensing something amiss, then he would trust her instincts. 

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt because keeping him from Peter was also easing his own sense of jealousy. In truth, he really didn’t have a solution to anything. He didn’t actually forgive Warren forcing that kind of selfish decision on him, but he knew that he mainly just felt spiteful after seeing him act so intimate with Quicksilver. But he was going to use this excuse of protection as a justification to be close to the person he loved, despite any religious qualms. 

“You look so handsome tonight,” Warren added as they wove their way through the mass of guests to find their friends.

Kurt’s tail flicked noticeably quicker than usual, and he flashed his characteristic fanged grin as thanks. 

“Happy New Year, guys,” the winged man greeted as they approached the others. 

“Happy New Year,” they chimed in unison.

Jean quickly took Warren by the arm and pulled him off to the side, a concerned look in her fierce green eyes. 

“First of all, what are you doing,” she spat out in a forceful whisper.

“Chill, Red. I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” 

“We all know you two got into a fight...so, what? You think it’s ok to just show up here, acting all lovey dovey with your roommate like it’s no big deal while Kurt’s been really upset,” she hissed.

“I’m  _ not anything  _ with Peter, ok? Lay off. He’s just been acting out of sorts. Why do you think I’m here with you guys now,” he shot back under his breath.

“Look, you can treat us like a second option all you want, but Kurt doesn’t deserve that. And by the way, your little playdate or whatever he is to you - has been giving me the creeps all day. I tried to read his mind earlier and it’s blocked. That can only mean one thing. So, I'd watch your back if I were you.”

“Peter? I don’t know. He has been acting strange but…this could all just be attributed to the recent trauma. It’s not that odd if you think about it. Maybe he's on meds or something. If you’re so worried, tell Professor X.”

“Ok, wise guy. But if you’re wrong, I’m gonna make you eat those words,” she warned before wandering off to find Charles.

“Don’t mind her,” Scott said as Warren rejoined the group, “she’s been on edge all day.”

\----------------------

“Jean, I understand your reason for concern, but you see, even for telepaths of our caliber, Peter’s mind is _always_ difficult to read. He thinks as quickly as he runs. Perhaps now, with all that’s been going on, his thoughts are just racing - more frantically than usual,” the Professor answered calmly. 

“We wouldn’t want to make a scene of it tonight if it’s not necessary. I’m sure you understand. If things don’t turn around within the coming days, I’ll ask Hank to do a thorough evaluation.”

Jean wasn’t really satisfied with his answer, but she did know how important it was that this party run smoothly. Maybe he was right, it could at least wait until tomorrow. 

\-------------------------

By the time Jean got back to the others, they were already dancing and chatting away. It calmed her nerves to see everyone enjoying themselves and she rushed in to grab Scott for a dance. 

“It’s gonna be midnight soon. Do you guys have any new year resolutions,” Jubilee asked as she took a dainty sip from her flute of champagne. 

Kurt and Warren looked between themselves before shrugging in unison. 

“Haven’t really given it much thought, I suppose,” Kurt quirked a nervous smile.

“What about you, Jubilee?”

“I want to train even harder so that I can become a valuable, permanent member of the X-Men team,” she said confidently as she lifted her glass in the air as a small toast to her determination.

“Wow, so noble,” Warren said sarcastically, which only earned him the sharp poke of a tail in his ribs from Kurt, whose eyes begged him to ‘play nice’. 

“Oh, yeah? What about you then, hotshot? What are _your_ goals,” she challenged right back.

He paused in thought for a second, but that was all the ammo she needed.

“Oh, wait. That’s right! I guess you don’t need to set goals when you’ve got daddy’s money,” she said and stuck out her tongue playfully. 

“Wow. Low blow, Jubes,” he faked, “that attitude is pretty cute on you, ya know. Better be careful,” he teased, knowing he’d get the one-up just by flirting with her. 

“Ew,” she grimaced, “how about I make a resolution for you? Stop flirting with me and focus on your boyfriend for a change,” she raised her eyebrows suggestively and nodded towards Kurt.

“Deal,” Warren grinned, slinging his arm around Kurt’s shoulder and pulling him in close.

“Well, you heard the lady, let’s get down to business,” he joked, leading him off and into the crowd so they could be alone.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Not sure yet. Any ideas?”

“Yes, actually. Follow me.” 

The blue mutant led them up the grand staircase and away from the crowds. Warren was surprised when they reached the familiar, forgotten prayer room.

“Here? I thought Christians only had to go to church on Christmas.” 

“No, it’s not that,” Kurt laughed and took a seat on the ledge of a large window in the corner of the room, golden eyes gazing out on the moonlit horizon. 

“I can see them setting it up now,” he said.

“Setting up what?”

“Every year just after midnight, they light off fireworks down by the lake. This room has the perfect view.”

Warren looked to the old, ornate grandfather clock that stood at the other side of the room as he sat beside his friend.

“Well, should be any minute now.”

Those few minutes, they sat together in silence, holding hands, watching the dark landscape outside. It felt like forever. Until forever was interrupted by the chime of the clock, and shortly followed by the crackle and whistle of fireworks. They took a minute to appreciate the beautiful display.

“Happy New Year, Warren,” Kurt smiled, and squeezed his hand ever so slightly. 

“Happy New Year,” he paused, “you know, I'm not sure about the custom in Germany, but...here in America, we kiss our lovers at midnight,” Warren smirked.

Kurt’s eyes widened in surprise and Warren thought he might teleport into thin air at any given moment. But instead, it was the angel’s turn to be surprised because Kurt actually kissed him. Consciously, and deliberately kissed him. It wasn’t nervous, or shaky, or hesitant like all the times before. In that moment, in their own sense of the word, they both found their resolution. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the other night I was laying in bed, thinking about the plot of this story  
and I cringed so hard when I remembered how this story   
started vs. what it has become.   
HOW LIKE HOW? HOW DID THIS DARK SHIT  
TURN INTO A MUTHAFKIN HIGHSCHOOL AU   
FFS WHY DOES EVERYTHING I   
TOUCH TURN CLICHE?!!!


	16. Overflow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It finally gets juicy...

Lips collided first, gently, but with purpose. As the kiss grew in intensity, teeth clashed and tongues fought for dominance. Bare skin was illuminated as they raced to undress each other, reflecting the moonlight and the multicolored flashes from the fireworks outside.   
Articles of clothing were carelessly strewn across the floor as Warren edged Kurt towards the wall until the back of his legs bumped against it and he leaned into it for balance. Kurt broke the kiss to gasp for air and Warren realized he needed it, too. They looked at each other, and Warren could see Kurt’s gaze, glazed over with unbridled lust. 

Just like he had all those days before, Warren wanted to pick up where he had left off. He placed a calculated nip on the tip of Kurt’s pointed ear. He relished in the sound that escaped the blue boy’s mouth. The sensation sent a shiver throughout Kurt’s body, only intensifying his desire. A small voice in the back of his mind nagged him about desecrating the sanctity of a holy place...or something to that effect - but he couldn’t be bothered to pay it any mind. 

Kurt’s tail snaked around the blonde and pressed against the small of his back, inviting him closer. He wanted Warren to know that he wasn’t going to deny it any longer - wanted him to know this was what he wanted, too. They resumed their feverish kissing, Warren’s hands slid along the sides of his lover’s lithe waist, and he noted the way the patterned scar tissue felt beneath his fingertips, like the braille of a forbidden book. He wanted to memorize every sensation, map it out in his mind so that he might never forget this moment. He shuddered as he felt Kurt’s fingers, buried in the feathers of his sensitive wings. 

His grip paused just above the band of Kurt’s briefs, the only piece of clothing left on. He gently pulled back from the kiss to search the boy’s big, golden eyes for affirmation. With a shy, but somehow coy smile playing at his lips, Kurt nodded in approval. 

“I-It’s okay. I can - we can...you know,” he nervously breathed, trying to assure the winged man that he wasn’t going to run away again. 

“Are you sure,” Warren asked, voice dripping with need.

Kurt nodded again, and leaned back into the kiss. Nervously, he decided to take initiative on his own, pushing himself off the crutch that was the wall behind him, helping him stay upright all this time, despite his shaking legs and hazy mind. Instead of Warren being the one to undress him the rest of the way, he bent down and slowly, almost teasingly slid off his own underwear, his tail reflexively bending behind him. He tentatively stepped closer to Warren, one fanged tooth biting his lower lip, he felt entirely self-conscious at this point, but was trying to ignore it. 

The angel watched, purely enthralled. How could one person be so captivating, so alluring, so charming - despite all of his innocence, and all of his quirks? The way Kurt looked so nervous, yet every move he made was so graceful, every step he took nearer like a calculated decision, like someone walking a tightrope, unfolding before him in slow motion. Warren felt his breath catch in his throat as Kurt languidly knelt to the ground in front of him. He stared down into amber eyes, and noticed how they lit up in the darkness of the room. 

He was so lost in Kurt’s eyes, that he almost failed to realize that the impish man was delicately pulling down his boxers, all the while still keeping his eyes locked on Warren’s. It was almost daunting, and Warren became acutely aware of how exposed he felt. This was a level of intimacy he had never experienced before. It almost frightened him how vulnerable he had become - because he loved Kurt so much. And those big, childlike eyes, full of purity, staring up at him - they had him caught like a deer in headlights. His thoughts snapped back to reality when Kurt finally broke the gaze to tentatively look at the man standing before him - in all his nude glory. 

Kurt couldn’t help but admire his muscular form, and how much from this angle, staring up at him felt like looking at a Renaissance statue as a patron in an art museum. Everything about him was perfect.  _ Everything.  _ From a third person perspective, he pictured the scene of them together like this. In the forgotten prayer room, in an institution for forgotten mutants. And he almost laughed at the dichotomy. 

To any average onlooker, the very two of them might look like a still-life reenactment of something right out of the bible itself. A hideous demon kneeling before an almighty angel.  _ No, no. I know it isn’t like that,  _ he thought. But the irony of it all replayed through his mind as he softly began to work Warren’s already erect member in his hand. His thoughts almost drowned out the sound of a satisfied gasp as it escaped Warren’s lips, but instead the noise brought him back to earth. The pleasure that he was eliciting from the other man was enough to excite him, and he felt his own need throbbing between his slender thighs. Almost unconsciously, he moved his tail, in all of its dexterity, and coiled it around his own erection, jerking himself off while he scooted just close enough to Warren to tease him, playfully licking the tip of his cock before stopping to look up at the angel’s face.

“Fuck,” Warren groaned, in a low, gravelly tone, “I want you so damn bad.”

Those words were enough to send Kurt’s senses into overdrive. He gripped the blonde’s thighs and eagerly did his best to give him a good blow job. Not like he had experience with these things, so he took direction from Warren’s moans. The sounds of ecstasy served as harmonious indications that he was doing a good job. His tail still pumping his own cock, he could feel himself growing closer to climax. He noticed how good Warren’s fingers felt, tangled in his hair, forcing him to take his length deeper. It hit all at once, and he felt himself orgasm, moaning loudly with Warren still in his mouth, his cum spattered onto the floor and he regretted to think that some may have gotten on the blonde’s feet. 

The vibrations of Kurt’s fervent moaning ripped through Warren’s core and he barely pulled out in time, dropping to his knees and orgasming, a mess of groans and spasms.  _ God it was so good.  _ Gasping for air, they were both spent from the intensity of their little affair. Shakily slipping their clothes back on, the two kissed each other tenderly and Kurt teleported them both back to his room, where they fell asleep contentedly, in each other’s arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been slow, I'm sorry. School has been A LOT lately. 
> 
> But here's a sex scene to hold you over, since I know that's the only thing you dirty hooligans want ;)


	17. Polarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt tries to cope with the aftermath of their hook up, but evil plans are underway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited, just for the sake of getting this chapter out quickly. I'll probably come back to it and give it a proofread later. Thanks for sticking with me, lovelies!

“I’m failing to see why you’re pressing so hard on this matter, Magneto,” Emma replied, annoyance notable in her tone. Everyday, he was back on her case about keeping his son’s mind in her grips, under watch. As if there would be some important development that they were going to miss.  _ They’re just a bunch of kids, anyways. What’s so urgent about getting to this winged boy anyway? _

“The point is, we control Peter, we win the Angel’s trust, we capture said boy, and we hold him hostage. What is there to gain from all that? Well, it’s killing two birds with one stone, really. Number one, his father happens to be rather wealthy, so...we put a ransom on his head, and  _ viola, _ resources for the cause of Genosha. And you know as well as I, Miss Frost, the great affliction of the rich - corruption. Mr. Worthington II always had money, sure, but a major contribution to that affluence? Pharmaceuticals. Tell me, you wouldn’t happen to remember all those years ago, a certain disgusting "innovation" called  _ the cure? _ ”

“That’s his son?!” 

The white witch didn’t attempt to hide her shock. But now she understood - eliminate an enemy of all mutantkind, gain a little extra at the same time.  _ But… _

“What’s to become of the boy when this is all over? And aren’t you concerned Peter will realize what you’ve done?”

“The boy can walk free, after all, he is inconsequential, simply a key to the bigger picture. Peter? He’s been a lost cause ever since he chose Xavier’s path. And he already loathes me after seeing his sister...well,” he paused and changed direction, “that was a shame, wasn’t it,” a flicker of sadness quickly morphed into rage, “but if he's foolish enough to try to oppose me, he’ll meet the same fate!”

Once again, Emma was left alone in her quarters. Left to concentrate, left to focus, in silence, searching for a mind. A mind she hadn’t actually bothered to check in on since New Years Eve. A couple weeks had passed since then. But she figured it was important to let her subject rest, not just to shrug off the suspicions of his colleagues, but she partly felt guilty - Pulling the strings on the life of a vulnerable young man was fun at times, it felt like a bad soap opera, but she wrote the script. But the one thing she hated was, she could only write part of it, the rest was left to the reactions of everyone around her. When her small attempt to seduce the winged man failed, it still hurt her pride, even if it wasn’t her acting directly. But it would pass, after all, it was Peter’s reputation at stake, not hers. 

\------------------------------------

Class was back in session following their leisurely Winter break, it was always the hardest time to get back into gear, especially after all of the holiday festivities. Warren struggled to find the motivation to get out of bed, recoiling as his feet touched the cold, wooden floor. Peter was classically late to wake up, snoozing until about 3 minutes before he had to be in class, knowing he could use his superhuman speed to get ready at Mach 5. Warren admired his sleeping form with jealousy for a moment, his silver hair a ragged mess, and Twinkie wrappers strewn about the bed. He almost chuckled to himself before groaning and dragging himself to the bathroom to get tidied up for the day. He half-heartedly fussed with his unruly curls, and brushed his teeth before he schlepped his way over to the closet and pulled on whatever his hands grabbed first, tiredly maneuvering his wings through his signature leather jacket. He unceremoniously threw his bag over his shoulder and headed out the door. 

“Morning, Angelface,” Jean said sarcastically as they passed each other in the hall, their equally lifeless eyes sharing a moment of mutual understanding for a fellow non-morning person. 

“Morning,” he yawned. 

Scott came barreling by, two cups of coffee in hand, obviously trying to catch up to Jean, almost overlooking Warren completely, if it weren’t for his unignorable wings.

“Mornin’,” he blurted in passing, catching up to the sleepy redhead to hand her one of the coffees.

_ Maybe it’s those little things that matter more. Maybe this all happened because I didn’t bother with the little things? I just selfishly dove right in without testing the waters, _ Warren found his mind wandering, but at least while he was still half asleep, it was easy to shut it down. 

Jubilee whirled around, appearing in front of him, dramatic sparkles shooting from the tips of her fingers. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she chimed, “you ready for another  _ exciting  _ lesson with Dr.McCoy today,” she joked.

“You don’t have to be nice to me because of what happened, ya know,” Warren sulked.

“It’s not that, you big grump. I’m just in a good mood today, actually. Scott made everybody coffee and it was really strong, it must have put some extra pep in my step. Shoulda saved some for you,” she stuck out her tongue. 

“Come on, cheer up,” she patted him on the shoulder encouragingly, “you’ve been through this like a thousand times before. You know how Kurt is by now, so you should know he’ll come around.”

“What if someday he  _ stops  _ coming around, Jubes? What if that day is now,” he sighed in frustration, “I just can’t help feeling like  _ I  _ messed up, ya know. Like it’s  _ my  _ fault.”

“Look, I wasn’t there, but we all know how much you care about him. We aren’t blaming you this time. We’ve had some misunderstandings, sure, but I have a strong feeling this is just another one of Kurt’s religious self-exiles.” 

He stopped just before they went to enter the classroom, just minutes before the bell would ring, his eyes checking her honesty. 

“I’m serious, Warren. Besides, if you worry about it, you only suffer twice,” she winked before wandering in to go occupy her usual seat.

Only missing a few beats, he followed her half-heartedly. A nearly undetectable blur that could only be Peter blew past him through the doorway. He reappeared as his nonchalant, windswept self in a seat in the furthest corner of the room. Warren wasn’t tuned in to today’s lecture at all, instead his mind couldn’t help replaying the uneasy scene. Waking up in Kurt’s room the morning after, Kurt was already awake, looking mortified and uncomfortable. But like usual, Warren couldn’t even begin to think of how to calm him down. When he gets like that, he’s so wrapped up in his own head. When the impish boy noticed he was awake, staring in obvious concern, he gently asked Warren to leave. It nearly broke his heart. All he could do was listen, figure he needed space, like he always did. It upset Warren that their intimacy always triggered some kind of mental break in him, and he could only guess this was like all the other times before but perhaps due to the nature of - on a grandiose scale. And just like before, Kurt had been avoiding him since. Even though Jubilee’s words made perfect sense to him, and he more or less saw this coming himself - it always made him feel guilty and even a little angry. 

At least Kurt shared classes with Jean and Scott today. It’s always harder to face him as he nervously scurries by, avoiding eye contact, or teleports away entirely. For today it  _ should _ be easier to let it go for a while, if only he could focus. 

\-----------------------------------------

He cracked a pointed smile as Jean and Scott sat at their desks beside him. Kurt was at ease when he got to spend class among friends. After all, they were still his friends, they were still Warren’s friends, so it felt like they were still hanging out somehow - just...indirectly. He felt guilty for bailing out on the angel once again, but he felt a deeper guilt for sleeping with him. It wasn’t just the momentus loss of virginity, but it was like sealing the deal, sealing the fate. That now he was just a self-indulgent misguided sinner like everyone else. It felt dirty. He must’ve showered twenty times that fateful morning, but no matter how much he scrubbed at his skin, he knew he’d probably never feel clean again. How could something that felt so right in the moment leave him in such a pit of regret? 

But he couldn’t find the answer to the question. Nothing quelled the restlessness in his soul. Not the prayers, the confessions, nor the freshly carved patterns on his body. Kurt figured he could only find the answer within himself, but maybe it would just take time to accept it. He kept a distance from Warren because seeing him brought the memory bubbling to the surface, twisted his stomach in knots and made him feel like vomiting. But was it from the shame, or the realization that his desire for the blonde was insatiable? 

\-------------------

Warren watched with mild curiosity as Peter excused himself in the middle of the lesson, walking out discreetly, a little wobbly on his feet. By the time class was over, he was going to dismiss the incident altogether, but as his roommate he felt like he at least had the obligation to check on him. So, as the bell rang, he found himself quickly shuffling down the hall, keeping an eye out for the quickster. With no sign of him in the common areas, he made his way to their dorm, and was relieved to hear Peter rustling around in the bathroom. 

“Hey, man. Are you alright?”

“No,” his voice was quiet and pained, “do - do we have any Tylenol or something around here? My fucking head.”

He stumbled out, eyes wincing, and a hand rubbing at his temple. 

“I’m sure someone does. Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

Emma Frost giggled and sat back in her chair. 

“_Yes, sweetheart. But your little friend won’t be here when you return._”


	18. Your Own Obstacle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens as mercenary Emma Frost and Magneto set their evil plans into effect. Hank gives bomb advice, and Kurt finds himself again, but now they have to worry about finding Warren and Peter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> without further ado....
> 
> sorry for the wait, ladies and gents. for better or for worse, I still have to work during the quarantine, so I don't have any extra free time.

_ I wish there was anyone I could talk to about this _ , Kurt thought,  _ like somebody who can actually answer back.  _ He stood up from his spot at the vacant pew, in the habitually deserted prayer room, which had now become his sanctuary in more ways than one. It used to be purely a place of worship for him, nothing more. But now it was a place to run and hide, because nobody was ever around. But the emptiness didn’t do anything to quell his uneasiness. And the residual, sexually charged memories of what took place here only served to haunt the place. Maybe God had decided to forsake this little piece of heaven after that, in spite of him.  _ A devil like me was never destined to be righteous _ , a hard truth he supposed he might be forced to accept. And no matter how he tried to justify loving Warren in his likeness to an angel, he knew it was a ruse. An ironic joke, like it couldn’t have suited anyone less holy. Almost like Lucifer himself, fallen from paradise. But was Warren actually a bad guy? No, not at all. Well, not anymore.  _ Maybe that comparison was a tad dramatic. _ After all, none of us are perfect. And Warren wasn’t any worse than a person with a bad history, and little bit of blood on his hands. But in his own ways, he too has repented. Kurt hated that he couldn’t escape his archaic, one-way thinking. 

What happened to the honor in being a good man? The honest, genuine, man seeking forgiveness, in a world ignorant of God. Are those people all damned? _ Not if divinity is fair. _ But all these years of self-imposed god fearing in him are just so hard to break. He needed someone to talk to. Everything always makes more sense when you say it aloud. Half the time when he voiced his concerns to his friends, he realized just how ridiculous they were in the first place.  _ Maybe I can catch Hank between lectures.  _

“You know...you’re still pretty young like the rest of us on the team, so I-,” he paused, awkwardly fidgeting with his hands in his lap, “I feel like I can talk to you about personal things without it being too weird, but..”

“Kurt, it’s fine. What’s on your mind,” McCoy reassured him as he adjusted his glasses.

“What do you do when you just can’t get past yourself? Like when you’re your own worst enemy?”

_ Jesus, what a loaded question, _ Hank couldn’t help but think as he searched for the right way to answer. Hell, after all, he knew the feeling all too well. Fighting with his own mutation, the literal beast inside, and the process of wrangling it into his control was as real as any emotional struggle. 

“Well, you sure came to the right guy, but you’re going to have to be a little more specific. You know, unfortunately, there isn’t a scientific solution to all problems like there was for mine.”

“No, I know. I don’t think there’s any easy way out of this one,” he sighed, “it’s a matter of reconditioning the way I’ve thought, and felt, and operated for as long as I can remember. So unless you have some kind of amazing mind warping machine, this has to be solved the old fashioned way.”

“Don’t tempt me,” he laughed, “Either that, or it’s a job for the Professor.”

Kurt laughed weakly in response.

“That doesn’t sound like all too bad of an idea at this point,” an exasperated breath hissed through his teeth, “were you ever religious, Hank?”

“Heh. Well, as it turns out, scientists like myself are predisposed to questioning those sorts of things...at the very least.”

“And yet, I think you’re a really great person. I think everybody at this school would agree with that, too. You use your smarts for good, and your powers to save others. So, then why can’t I be free like you?”

“Thank you, Kurt,” the bespectacled man smiled warmly, “But think about what you just said. Doesn’t that apply to basically everyone at this school? Isn’t that what this institute is all about?”

“Uh, well...yeah.”

“And that tiny prayer room, have you ever seen a single person in there besides you?”

“Well..no.”

“Then what does that tell you, kid? Religion is good and all, but the real moral compass is in  _ here _ ,” he said as he emphatically pointed to his chest.

“And as long as you still see all of these people around you as righteous and honorable people, then why’s it so hard to see yourself like the rest of them? You can let it go. If you trust your instincts, your heart won’t steer you wrong, just make sure you’re using your brain, too,” he winked. 

\------------------------------

“H-hey! I found some medicine,” Warren paused, clearly out of breath from running through the halls.

“This should help your head,” he said as he walked toward Peter’s slumped form on the bed. 

Peter didn’t respond, just turned to face him quietly, eyes looking distant and glazed over.

“Peter, you okay?”

Robotically, he seemed to come to life.

“Oh, hey. You’re back?”

A soft realization spread across his expression, putting Warren more at ease.

“Here, man. Take a couple of these,” his outstretched hand offered the canister of Advil, and a bottle of water.

“You’re a real life-saver, babe” it came out gritty and unnatural.

Peter didn’t reach for the water or the meds, but instead, with his lightning fast speed, sprung to life and caught Warren by the throat before he could even react. 

“P-  _ agh! - Peter _ ,” the words fought to escape Warren’s pinched vocal chords, breaths barely choked their way through his crushed windpipe.

He thrashed his wings with all of his might, and desperately pushed back against the hands clasped around his neck. 

“Please don’t make this harder than it has to be, pretty little angel.”

With hollow, unreadable eyes and an off-key voice, the silver-haired man leaned in dangerously close. The lightheadedness grew unbearable, and the winged man fought tears as his vision went black and his body fell lifeless. 

“Magneto, I’ve got him unconscious, let’s get ready to intercept these boys at the rendezvous point,” Emma announced calmly. 

“Nicely done, witch.”

A flourish of his cape was the last she saw of him as Magneto levitated off to make the final preparations. 

\------------------------------

“Professor X,” Jean burst into his office, clearly shaken, “I felt it again. A disturbance. I know I saw Peter in my mind! Someone is up to know good around here. I can sense it!”

“Now, Jean., I believe you, but before we jump to conclusions, let’s go check in on Mr. Maximoff.”

The two opened the room to his door, shocked to find the window left ajar and the room void of any sign of either of its occupants, save for the suspicious amounts of feathers scattered about Peter’s bed. Jean and Xavier stopped to share a knowing look of concern.

“I’ll instruct Hank to conduct a search around the immediate premises. Ready the jet and gather the team, we’ll search the surrounding area from the skies. If Peter’s mind is truly compromised, then I fear this may be something bigger than we can anticipate.”

\-----------------------

“Can I break my grip on him yet,” the white witch asked, mentally exhausted from maintaining the prolonged psychic hold on Peter.

Like a marionette, she led him, hauling a lifeless Warren over his shoulder until they were well outside the boundaries of the Xavier Institute. There, she and Magneto were waiting to capture them. They made quick work of cuffing the two together. At least that way, as long as they could maintain control over Quicksilver, they could ensure their precious cargo wouldn’t be going anywhere. 

“Not until we have both boys securely in “storage” back at Genosha. If Peter regains his own consciousness before they’re detained, it’ll cause us a load of trouble, believe me.”

“Ugh. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. If you don’t hold up your end of the bargain, I can promise I’ll raise more hell than your son ever could.”

“You’ll get your money, Emma. Not to worry. The ransom will more than cover your fees. Although mercenary work doesn’t really suit you, to tell the truth. It’s a shame you can’t see the genius in my vision for the world.”

“Sorry, I’m not here for politics. Only money.”

\------------------

As soon as Kurt caught wind of the commotion in the common room, he teleported to Warren’s room to confirm that what he overheard was true. To his dismay, it was just like they said. He knew he was still just an X-man in training, but he HAD to get on this search and rescue mission. This was his best friend they were looking for. _ Best friend? No. No, _ he softly reminded himself,  _ more than that. I love him, and that’s okay. No- it’s better than okay, I’m proud to be in love with Warren.  _ A million thoughts raced through his head as he bamfed to the lower floors, searching frantically for the Professor until he found them preparing for take off in the X-Jet. 

“Please, Professor, you have to let me come!”

With a heavy sigh, Xavier looked into the blue boy’s pleading eyes. 

“Yes, fine. Well...go get your suit on! You’ve got 2 minutes!”

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou,” he sputtered out before disappearing in a puff of smoke to go change.

\-----------------------------

“Uhnnn.”

Warren winced against a cold, concrete floor as he slowly came to. The room was dimly lit and unfamiliar. As he moved to sit up, the metal clink of a shackle around his left wrist caught his attention. The rattle of a chain that led to  _ where _ ? Not to where, but to who. Suddenly, it all came back to him, and he was on high alert. As soon as his eyes caught sight of the person cuffed to the other end of the chain, he lunged with an attack. But something was off...Peter didn’t even flinch, didn’t even look in his direction as he bared his weight down on him, and landed a punch square on his jaw. He was like a lifeless doll. 

“Now, now, boys. Play nice. After all, he’s not really your enemy,” the sultry sound of a woman’s voice echoed from somewhere in the darkness.

Whipping around to try and find who was speaking, Warren realized they were trapped in a cell, like animals in a cage. A feminine silhouette appeared on the other side of the bars. 

“Who are you,” he barked, approaching the woman threateningly until the slack of the chain pulled him back as Peter’s lifeless form was unceremoniously dragged by his movement. 

“I’m nobody, sweety. Just a mutant for hire.”

“What did you do to him,” he gestured to his unconscious cellmate. 

“Not to worry. He’ll be right as rain in a few hours. His mind is rather out of sorts right now. But that’s what happens, things get a bit scrambled during the mind control process.”

“It was you?! Fuckin’ bitch! I knew it, I knew something wasn’t right with him! How long?!”

She laughed seductively, unvexed by the angel’s dangerous tone. 

“Oh, honey. Guess why don’t you?”

“The party, at New Years. You don’t even have to tell me, I already know.”

“Correct,” she giggled, “I remember that night, you were a real buzz kill. I had pegged you for being more of a free-spirited type. But I guess the wings don’t make the man, huh?”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“Yeah, guess not. Well, I know  _ I  _ would’ve kissed him,” she shrugged her shoulders and looked over to Peter.

“You’re sick! That’s my friend. And now that I know you’re the one who attacked me, that makes you my enemy.”

An unexpected telepathic blast forcefully sent Warren backwards, his wings painfully colliding with the unforgiving concrete walls. He sunk down to the floor, in shock and without much way of striking back.

“Sit down and behave, brat. This isn’t amateur hour.”

And with that, the mysterious lady walked out of sight. 


	19. Take Backs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's action time for the X-Men as they rally together to rescue Peter and Warren.

When Peter woke up, he felt like he’d been hit by a truck. And then maybe the driver put it in reverse and hit him again just for good measure. He noticed fingers idly combing through his hair, and he looked up to see familiar blue eyes looking down at him. His head was resting on Warren’s lap. He still had a splitting migraine.

“Oh, hey,” he groaned softly, “Did you find any medicine?”

“Take a look around, Dorothy,” Warren sighed, “we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Peter weakly sat up, leaning against the wall beside the blonde. He took in the glum, strange surroundings, and stared at the shackles binding them together with resignation.

“Well, fuck. This must be one hell of a headache.”

“Are you gonna be okay,” Warren asked, gingerly brushing his fingers over the nasty bruise he left on the man’s jaw.

“I’ll be fine. Any idea how we got here?”

“Not really. There was some lady here earlier, but I couldn’t get a good look at her. What I  _ do know _ is that she’s a telepath, and she’s been controlling your mind off and on for some time now.”

“Oh? Well, that’s surprising. Usually telepaths can’t read my mind, it moves too fast. Maybe we’re dealing with some powerful people. I hope I didn’t do anything too embarrassing.”

The angelic man laughed, not even knowing where to begin.

“Unless it involved getting you in bed,” he jested. 

“Lucky you! We’re all chained up with nowhere to go, so maybe you got your wish in the end,” Warren replied sarcastically.

“No, but seriously? What did that lady make me do?”

“Well, first, you tried to molest me at the New Years Eve party,” he began, much to Peter’s amusement as he giggled despite himself.

“Hey, it wasn’t  _ me  _ assaulting you, okay? It was the damn psychic. Don’t let it go to your head,” he smirked.

If Warren had the energy, that would have earned him a slug in the arm for sure.

“Okay, hotshot. A few uneventful weeks passed, and then you left class with a bad headache,”

“I remember that part,” he interrupted.

“I came back with medicine, then you strangled me into unconsciousness, and when I woke up, we were here.”

“Damn. My bad, dude.”

Peter thoughtfully looked to the finger-like bruises around the blonde’s neck and sighed. 

“If I was stronger, nobody would’ve been able to control me in the first place. It’s my fault we’re in this mess. I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, man. I’m sure the X-Men will be busting us out of here in no time.”

\-------------------------

When the search kicked off at the Xavier school, the younger students were helping Hank look high and low. Some groups investigated inside of the mansion, while others checked around the estate. But so far their search had turned up nothing save for a vague trail of feathers leading far off into the woods. It was their only lead. Hank partnered up with Jubilee and the two began to follow it, radioing in with Xavier to let them know what direction to fly over.

The further they went, the fewer feathers they saw and the greater the distance between them. It was hard to know if they had been scattered by the wind, or if these clues would even get them anywhere, but they persevered until their path of plumage ran dry. 

“Professor X, we’ve lost the trail,” Jubilee’s voice sounded over the radio.

“It’s okay,” Xavier responded, “you two head back to the campus and watch over the younger students. I have a strong hunch about where our missing boys might be, and if I’m correct, you’d have no hope of getting there on foot, anyways. In the meantime, we have to make a visit to an old friend. We’re already on our way.”

“Copy that. Stay safe, guys,” she replied as she and Hank reluctantly turned around to head back home. 

Up in the jet, the rest of the team was strapped in their seats, confused and uneasy. 

“But Professor,” Scott chimed in, “I get that it makes sense, seeing as Magneto attacked quite recently with the uh….Wanda incident, but based on everything we’ve known, Magneto doesn’t have any telepathic allies. This could be completely unrelated, and we might be wasting time that Peter and Warren might not have.”

Kurt winced at the idea of the person he loved “running out of time”.

“I understand your concern, Scott. But you are still young, and there are foes you haven’t met yet. Please trust me when I say I have a strong feeling about this. It’s an intuitive thing.”

“He’s right, Scott. The energy, the intent, the aura that I felt. Something just seems right about it being connected to Magneto,” Jean agreed, “but my biggest concern is, how could a telepath be acting on one of our students all the way from Genosha? Have they harnessed the powers of Cerebro?” 

“Perhaps they have built their own rendition. Magneto is not to be underestimated.”

\----------------

Peter stood up and mustered all of his remaining strength, gripping two of the metal bars and concentrating all of his power into his hands. He powerfully vibrated the molecular structure of the cell door. Warren watched in awe as the pulses travelled all the way through the chain that was binding them together and sent a shiver through his body. The entire room rumbled violently, and the spots where the bars were anchored to the concrete began to crack, but the metal refused to give.

“Fuck. I can’t break it.”

Quicksilver grunted in frustration and gave up, walking back to sit beside his disheveled friend. 

“It’s okay, don’t over exert yourself right now. We might have to save our energy for something bigger.”

“What’s with all the commotion down here, Pietro? Didn’t I teach you to be on your best behavior when we have guests?”

“Father?! What the fuck is going on here?!”

There was so much venom in his words. 

“I should’ve fucking ended you when I had the chance!”

“Ahahaha! You gave up that chance when you chose to be one of Xavier’s little peace crusaders, my failure of a son.”

“You wish, old man. I’ll make sure you burn in hell for what you did to Wanda!”

“You can rest assured, her loss was not in vain. After all, only a fool would’ve let all that untapped power go to waste.”

“That figures. You never did think much about us, anyways. It even seemed suspect to me that you would “care” enough to end Wanda’s life. But I see now, it gave you the chance to exploit her power, and make it your own. That was your incentive, huh. You don’t surprise me, but you’re defiling your dead daughter’s memory, and I’ll make you regret it.”

“Enough of this chit-chat. Emma, put my son in time out, would you?”

“Yeah, sure. All this father-son bonding is making me sick, anyways.”

A blonde woman dressed in all white stepped into view and as soon as she locked eyes with Peter, he screamed in agony, crumbling to the floor and grasping at his head with his eyes clenched shut. In his mind’s eye, the scene of his sister’s death played on a loop.

“I’m not here for him, I’m here for you, blondie. I gave your daddy a call. We’re trying to see if we can work something out, if you know what I mean.”

“Joke’s on you, asshole! He hates me more than you hate your own kids,” Warren walked over to hold Peter, trying to comfort him.

“So, I’m sure you won’t be surprised when he isn’t interested in bailing me out. You’re not gonna get anything out of him, I can assure you.”

Magneto scowled at him menacingly.

“We’ll see about that.”

“Magneto,” Emma blurted, “I’m sensing other telepathic presences nearby. We might have some company to deal with.”

Warren flashed a cocky grin.

“Looks like your plan is a bust, old man.”

Hastily, the two villains made their exit, leaving the boys alone once more in the cold, barren chamber. With the telepath at a safe distance, Peter seemed to snap out of his trance. He looked up at his winged friend with tears streaming down his bruised face, and the blonde didn’t have the heart to ask. He just hugged him tightly, and they sat there in silence.

\-----------------------

“Alright, you guys. Be ready to storm the main fortress, that’s where Magneto stays. We’re gonna be touching down shortly.”

But it wouldn’t be that easy. It was never that easy. 

Just as the jet was about to land, the aircraft was rocked by an incredible unseen force. All of the team members were thankful to still be buckled in as the plane tilted and took a rough landing on its side. 

“Where the hell did that telekinetic force come from,” Jean shouted.

“Only one way to find out,” the Professor said as the group made for the emergency exit.

As they exited, and the dust from their less than graceful landing cleared, their foes came into view.

“Erik, my old friend. Up to no good again, I see,” Xavier spoke to him so familiarly. 

“Charles.”

An acknowledging nod of his helmet clad head.

“Is that Miss Emma Frost? Long time, no see.”

“Let’s skip the formalities, Mr. Xavier,” she replied.

“We’re not looking for trouble, Erik. We just have a couple of students who have gone MIA. One of which so happens to be your son. You wouldn’t have happened to see them around?”

“We  _ may  _ have seen them. But we aren’t quite finished with them yet. You know my boy, Peter, he’s being difficult as usual. Stalling the negotiations,” Magneto smirked.

“Somehow I highly doubt this has anything to do with him. Just show us where they are and we’ll be on our way.”

“Please, you should know me better by now, Charles.”

\-----------------------

As soon as the chaos of the battle broke out, Kurt used the distraction to teleport himself inside of the formidable castle.  _ Okay, find them and get them out. Let’s go. It’s pretty obvious that they always keep prisoners in the basement, right? I hope so, _ Kurt thought as he carefully jumped to the lower levels. It was always more dangerous to teleport in a place he’s never seen before.  _ What am I looking for exactly? A dungeon, an interrogation room, a torture chamber? Mein Gott.  _

When he got to the lowest floor, he noticed some cells, all empty, but he couldn’t even see the end of the long corridor. He ran along the hall, every cell void of life. Until the nearly inaudible sound of a jingling chain caught his ear. He ran faster.  _ That has to be them. _ Sure enough, his two forlorn, ragged friends were sitting there on the floor.

“Howdy, partner,” Peter waved nonchalantly.

Warren jumped to his feet, and even though his wings looked a little tattered, he appeared to be okay. Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. Kurt disappeared and instantly reappeared in the cell beside him, embracing him tightly.

“I’m so glad you’re alright!”

As he stepped back, he hesitated for a moment, but only a moment before planting a quick kiss on the blonde’s lips. 

“I- I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” the impish boy blushed.

They could hear the noisy ruckus of the battle going on outside all the way down in that crypt.

“Wanna bust us out of here or what, ‘cause I’ve got a score to settle,” Peter interrupted, pointedly cracking his knuckles.

“Huh?...Oh, yeah, let’s go! Grab on, guys!”

Peter grasped his shoulder, Warren held his hand, and just like that, the three teleported into the fray.

\----------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look at that, y'all. you get two chapters back to back. I really hope you like them. 
> 
> if you're wondering how tf Magneto does long distance transportation other than just his levitation thing,
> 
> I remember in one of the animated series he uses these large, hollowed out metal orbs and the people go inside the orb and he can zoom-zoom that shit hella fast cause it's metal so yeah....idk...or use your imagination??? :D


	20. A Bit of Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will go down in the battle against the White Witch and Magneto?

Reappearing right in the middle of it all, the trio narrowly dodged one of Scott’s laser beams. 

“Whoa! Watch it, Summers,” Warren snapped, as the blast singed the tips of some of his feathers.

“Watch where you’re teleporting, loser!”

“Yikes,” Kurt yelped, “alright. I’m gonna go stay with the Professor, be his legs, ya know. I kinda left him hanging to come find you guys.”

Peter was already long gone. He sped off so quickly that neither of them really had the chance to realize he was already up at the front lines, embroiled in a vicious fight with Magneto. Rushing around him from every angle in a disorienting frenzy, he landed hits in every vulnerable spot he could access. With each connected punch, he could see a fine, glittering mist of red, like sparks emitting from his father’s body. It wasn't blood, it was Wanda’s power.

_ Wanda’s aura is filling the air, I can feel her here with me.  _

“Hey, sis, I miss you,” he spoke aloud.

Due to his great speed, Peter’s voice sounded hauntingly distorted to Magneto, like it came from a radio submerged in water. A soft, feminine voice, clear as day echoed from the unknown. 

“Peter…”

_ Father thinks he can steal your power, and keep it for himself, lend it carelessly to that evil woman, use it for his twisted plans. Wanna prove the old man wrong with me one last time? _

Every liberated drop of Wanda’s essence surged through Peter’s body, breathing new life into him. It was a strength he’d never known. 

Meanwhile, Jean and Scott were trying their best to grapple with the “Wanda-enhanced” Emma. She seemed to easily juggle the task of fighting the two at the same time, predicting and dodging Scotts laser blasts with ease. Jean, as naturally gifted as she is, struggled to counter attack with her own telekinesis. And getting into the White Witch’s head was completely out of the question with all of the commotion going on. She was having a hard enough time protecting her own mind from being manipulated. 

High in the sky with his lofty bird’s eye view, Warren looked down on the scuffles taking place below. He took an opportune moment and dove down on the White Witch, gashing her side wide open. But, as he broke hard left to come in for a second swipe, she knew better this time to engage her secondary mutation, her skin crystallising into impenetrable diamond just before his attack connected. 

It didn’t matter, though. That tiny window of distraction was all Jean and Scott needed to make their move. With her eyes focused on Warren, and her mind trying to meld with his, she lowered her crystalline shield and Scott took her down with a direct shot to the back. As she hit the ground, Jean was right on top of her, not about to let up. Kurt teleported Charles to their aid, and together the two of them used their telepathic powers to quiet her mind and seal her in a state of unconsciousness. They all watched in wonder as a lovely red glow seemingly evaporated off of her body and dissipated into the atmosphere with a comforting wave of warmth. 

“Okay, everyone. You know the drill. One bad guy down, one more to go,” the Professor directed.

The squad rushed onto a gruesome scene. Blood littered the floor. Magneto was flat on his back, with an inextinguishable Quicksilver astride his torso, laying blow after blow across his blood-soaked face. Peter was only interrupted when Erik quietly choked out a few words.

“My helmet’s already off, you know.”

Magneto’s helmet, which was usually the team’s first target, had indeed been removed in their tussle, thrown haphazardly across the courtyard. All of the X-Men knew: Helmet off, game over. The Professor always took it from there, and that’s how it always was. But not today.

“What makes you think you deserve mercy,” Peter scoffed.

T he silver-haired man was blind to the audience that had formed around them. He could only see red, only desire vengeance. More crimson splattered his clothes as he landed another jab. A grisly graffiti that now decorated his body from head to toe. He pulled his arm back, like cocking a loaded gun, preparing to strike again.

“That’s enough,” Charles called out calmly.

Peter still didn’t hold his punch, a sickening sound echoing out as his fist collided with Erik’s cheek once more.

“I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH,” the Professor snapped, “Killing him won’t bring your sister back, Peter. And it would make you no less of a monster than him. I can take it from here.”

Reluctantly, Peter obeyed. Shakily standing up, and stumbling backwards, panting from the intensity of his frenzied attack. His shoulders rose and fell with each laboured breath. Warren gently glided down and stood beside his friend, taking him by the arm. A wing nestled itself around his back in a comforting hug, staining the ivory feathers with blood.

“Let’s go home, man. He’s not worth it.”

He weakly nodded in approval, pausing only to turn around and spit at his fallen father’s feet.

\-----------------

When they all got home, Peter wasn’t allowed inside. He had already made enough of a mess of the X-Jet’s interior.

“Do you know how hard it is to wash out blood,” Hank cried incredulously as he observed the damage after they landed.

“Nice to see you too, Beastie,” Quicksilver hummed sarcastically. 

“Yeah, yeah. Glad you’re safe, now go hose off outside. Kurt, teleport him out there, will you? Don’t want him tracking anything anywhere,” McCoy replied.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Peter laughed and rolled his eyes, “well, you heard the man, Blue. Let’s ditch this joint.”

“Hey, I’m coming, too. Gotta get this out of my wings,” Warren hastily took Kurt’s hand just before they disappeared.

The younger students played and watched on with curiosity from the lawn as Kurt sprayed down a very unamused Peter and Warren with the garden hose.

“Jesus, that’s cold,” the blonde shuddered.

“I’m never gonna get out of these leather pants,” he groaned as he felt the soaked fabric sticking to his skin.

“I can help,” Peter joked, raising his eyebrows emphatically.

Which only got him a blast of water to the face, courtesy of Nightcrawler. Peter laughed, and strapped on his goggles in defense.

“Yeah, I suppose I deserved that,” he grinned.

\---------------------------------

“So, like what happened to you guys down there,” Jubilee asked curiously as they all sat together for lunch.

“Honestly, nothing. We were just locked up,” the blonde answered matter of factly. 

“Seriously? That’s so lame,” she huffed.

“Hate to disappoint, Jubes. But the man is right,” Peter replied, unwrapping another Twinkie.

“But what did they want with you guys,” Scott asked.

Warren broke out into laughter, mildly startling Kurt who sat beside him.

“Wanted a ransom for me,” he laughed at the ridiculous notion, “as if my dad would EVER.”

The others didn’t know if they should laugh with him, or feel bad. But considering a lot of them also had strained relationships, if any at all with their families, they let it go. 

“Oh well, dude. Fuck your dad, fuck my dad. We’re doing alright for ourselves, right,” Peter winked encouragingly at him as he excused himself from the table untactfully as ever.

“Well, he has a point,” the redhead added, “maybe if things were cool with your dad, you never would’ve ended up here.”

“And that would be a mighty shame, wouldn’t it you cute little love birds,” Jubilee teased as she reached over and ruffled Kurt’s hair playfully. 

Under the table, he squeezed Warren’s hand tighter. 

\--------------------------

“When’s the last time we all went out and had a little fun,” Jean asked, as they all lazily laid about the lounge, textbooks dangling from their hands and notes scattered about the floor. 

“Not sure about the rest of us, but I definitely heard these two having  _ fun _ last night,” Peter pointed at Warren and Kurt who were sitting beside him on the sofa. The blonde kicked his leg begrudgingly and Kurt buried his blushing face in a book.

“Why don’t we go to the mall? If we try hard enough, we can all squeeze into my car,” Scott suggested.

“Shotgun,” Jubilee yelled as she ran towards the garage, the others hot on her tail.

Jubilee hopped into the front seat as Jean, Peter, Warren, and Kurt awkwardly dogpiled atop each other in the backseat. 

“Hey, hey! Mind the wings, guys,” the blonde snapped, as Jean accidentally sat on one of them.

“Warren, just sit on my lap so they don’t get squished, “ Kurt offered.

“I knew it! I always pictured you being on the bottom, Kurt,” Peter laughed, “oh, and Jubilee, you’re welcome for not using my powers. Otherwise, that seat would be mine right now.”

She turned around in her seat to stick out her tongue amusingly at him. 

\---------------------

Once inside the mall, the guys immediately tried to make a break for the arcade, but the ladies weren’t having it.

“Not so fast, amigos,” Jubilee cheered, “let’s have a little fun, shall we?”

“Oh, yeah. Makeover time,” the telepath agreed slyly.

The girls herded the helpless group of boys together into one cramped fitting room and ran up and down the aisles of the department store, grabbing whatever caught their eyes off of the racks. When they had picked an outfit for each of them, they tossed each one over into their dressing stall.

“This one’s for you, Scott,” Jean threw it over, and smirked evilly as she heard the other guys all snicker at the chosen ensemble.

“Kurt, heads up,” Jubilee tossed another one over.

“Hey, I vote that Kurt and I are exempt due to tail and wing concerns,” Warren called through the door.

“We took that into account,” Jean replied, “no weaseling out of this.”

“Warren, catch!” 

Another “outfit” flew over.

“What the  _ fuck  _ is this? This isn’t clothes,” he cried indignantly.

“And last but not least, Peter’s.”

“Chop chop, boys! We’ll be waiting,” the girls giggled.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I could get used to this,” Scott squatted a couple of times in his bright neon bicycle shorts and crop top. 

“Lucky you,” Peter huffed as he snapped his suspenders dramatically.

“I fuckin hate it,” he stared at his grandpa-esque outfit in the mirror. 

“I don’t mind the top so much,” Kurt said, fastening his white button up shirt, “but this thing on the bottom is a..._kilt_,” he asked with uncertainty as he tried to tug the plaid article lower to cover more.

“No, Kurt. That is a skirt,” Scott pointed out.

“A skirt? Hm, well it’s umm….breezy?”

“Oooh, don’t forget your knee-high socks, little catholic school girl,” Peter threw them over to the blue mutant.

“I can’t get this on, guys, help me out with the clips.”

The other three laughed hysterically, trying to help a very embarrassed Warren awkwardly get into his “outfit”. 

“Yeah, man. You know what, I’m pretty happy with mine after looking at you,” Peter added.

“Although, I’m questioning a lot of things about myself right now, to be honest,” he flirted.

“Watch it,” Kurt enviously tail whipped the silver-haired boy. 

“Did I say you weren’t invited? Jeeze,” Peter smirked.

“Are you guys almost done in there,” Jean asked impatiently.

“Come on out! Don’t be shy,” Jubilee chirped sweetly.

Scott confidently burst out first, dramatically flexing in his outfit.

“I bet you thought you would embarrass me, but I’m kinda into it. I think this will be my new style,” he exclaimed as he struck a pose.

Jubilee was bursting at the seams, folded in half she was laughing so hard. Jean was in shock.

“Okay, hun. But I won’t be seen in public with you,” she replied.

“Awe, come on, babe,” he pleaded.

Peter came out next, pretending to hobble around like an old man, giving the girls a run for their money.

“It really suits the grey hair,” Jubilee remarked.

“Haa. Haa. Very funny,” he grimaced.

Kurt shyly came out next, tail tucked between his legs, trying not to lift the skirt in the back at all. 

“Woooo, give us a spin, cutie,” Jubilee exclaimed, grabbing him by the hand tango style and giving him a twirl, the skirt fluttering delicately around his thin legs. 

“Uhhh, I kind of want to die,” the teleporter said quietly.

“I don’t wanna come out,” Warren cried from inside the changing stall.

“Do it, or we’re dragging you out,” Jean threatened.

Timidly, he stepped out, still hiding halfway behind the door. His cheeks were completely flushed as the girls wolf whistled at him and made it all the more degrading. He uncomfortably crossed his arms over his chest, trying to cover the lacey pink bra they had put him in, matching with a sleazy pair of lacey pink boyshort panties.

“Get it?! He’s a Victoria’s Secret angel,” the girls held each other as they broke into a fit of laughter.

“This feels illegal,” the blonde sighed.

“Rest in peace, bro,” Scott shook his head in sympathy.

“I bet if you took pictures like this, you could get a lot of money,” Peter tried to look on the bright side.

“That’s it, I’m changing. Who’s with me?”

They all followed Warren’s lead except for Scott, who they all turned to stare at accusingly.

“What? I’m wearing this out of the store. I’m gonna have the cashier ring it up off my body,” he modeled his outfit one last time to all of their horror. 

\--------------------------

After grabbing something to eat from the food court, they all decided to catch Star Wars at the theater downstairs, before heading back to campus. Perhaps she was right, maybe a little fun was just what the doctor ordered. Because everything just felt right. Perfect almost. And as Jean sat in the front seat on the way home, with the top down and the wind in her hair, everyone’s mind, including hers, was thinking the same thing loud and clear -  _ I never want this to end _ .

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The makeover scene is heavily based on the deleted mall scene from X-men Apocalypse, it was silly, I know but I hope you guys enjoyed it. I feel weird ending it like this, but I can't think of anywhere else to take this plot so here we are. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
> 
> Maybe as an unrelated oneshot, I kinda wanna write a story where it's like Warren and Peter fighting over Kurt. Maybe a threesome? Idk, any thoughts?


	21. Please Send Prompts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> requesting your prompts

I'm running out of ideas, so...

If there are any short/long prompts you have for a fic you'd like me to write, feel free to comment them below. 

It can be any X-Men ship, f/m, f/f, m/m, I'm open to whatever.

And if I feel confident about writing it, I might do it ^.^ 

**Author's Note:**

> Is anyone alive out there? Can anyone hear me? Lol.
> 
> Hello and welcome to the very dead fandom. I'm glad you could make it. 
> 
> Writing this is basically like...doing myself a favor cause idk if anybody will see this. So, I guess it's experimental. 
> 
> FYI, the injection is "the cure" originally created by Warren's dad. It is referenced in X-men: The Last Stand.
> 
> All the same, I hope you enjoy and thank you for reading. I appreciate any feedback <3


End file.
